Freeze Frame
by Phoenix-cry
Summary: A mix of science fiction and medical fact.  Brought back from a seemingly harmless mission Sam and Daniel quickly fall victim to an unsual madness.  Is their disorder organic in nature, or something far more sinister? No shipping.
1. Chapter 1

Freeze Frame

NOTE from the PHOENIX: This is another mix of science fiction and medical fact. I just want to state right now, for the record, there are no alternate universe characters invovled here.

Chapter One

"Open the iris!" Jack ordered. "Get a medical team down there!"

Ten minutes ago Jack had been prepared to go home, have a beer, order some Chinese, watch some hockey. A minute ago a message had come through the Gate after an unscheduled opening. It had born Teal'c's ID number and it simply coded for 'emergency'. Seconds after the heavy metal iris slid open Teal'c stepped out of the pool of blue and white light.

Teal'c carried Sam and Daniel, each of them supported by one of his strong arms. There was no blood, but they were both unconscious. He waited patiently as the medical team came up the ramp and took them away from him.

"Teal'c, what the hell happened?"

"I am unsure. We had yet to make contact with the inhabitants since they live a good distance from the Gate. After a day of walking the sun began to set before we reached our destination, so we made camp. In the morning they would not wake."

"You carried them both back that whole distance?"

"I could not leave them there helpless, and I was unsure if their condition would worsen if I simply waited for you to initiate radio contact."

"I'm not saying you did the wrong thing, Teal'c. I'm just impressed."

Teal'c graced Jack with a shallow bow. Having as much information as he was going to get Jack made his way to the infirmary. Teal'c followed and was quickly asked to be placed through a standard off-world physical.

While they were checking Teal'c out Jack wandered over to where Daniel and Sam had been laid out. Heart monitors and EEG machines were already chirping out a normal rhythm. Dr. Brightman busied herself with various checks before standing back for a moment with a look of confusion.

"Well?" Jack asked impatiently.

"No signs of trauma yet, Sir. They are both at the very least: stable. We'll need to run a..."

Dr. Brightman was interrupted as Daniel suddenly stirred. Jack rushed over and helped him sit up. As though he'd been woken early for school Daniel rubbed his eyes. When he fully opened them he stared unblinkingly at Jack.

"H...hello?"

"Hey there." Jack smiled. "How are you feeling?"

Daniel looked completely disoriented. Now fully awake his eyes darted around the room, absorbing every feature. Jack cleared his throat to get his attention. Daniel jerked in fright. He turned to face Jack, but kept his eyes down cast.

"Are you alright?"

"My head hurts a little."

"Well that's to be expected...I guess."

"My...my name is Daniel, Daniel Jackson."

"Uh..." Jack said intelligently.

"What's your name?"

Jack paused and looked to Dr. Brightman. She was just as confused as he was. Daniel started to fidget as though he wanted to demand an answer, but didn't feel like he had the right to. With a sinking feeling in his stomach Jack answered.

"I'm Jack, Jack O'Neill. General actually."

Daniel just nodded and looked around again. Jack just watched his friend as he tried to figure out his surroundings. He looked uneasy, but not afraid.

"Daniel?"

"Where...where are my parents?"

"Your parents?" Jack repeated in shock.

"I...I must have lost them." Daniel admitted sheepishly. "Will you help me find them? I'm sure they are worried about me."

"I'm worried about you." Jack said seriously.

"Do I know you?"

Jack didn't get a chance to respond. Sam groaned in pain and forced herself to sit up. With her back to Jack and Daniel she looked around. Jack walked around to the other side of the bed to face her. She furrowed her brow for a second, but then she smiled.

"Hello, Sir."

"Carter?" Jack asked

"Yes."

"Do you know where you are?"

"The infirmary at the SGC." Sam answered instantly. "I don't quite remember what happened, but I feel like I got hit over the head."

"I feel the same way." Daniel said meekly.

The look of shock that spread across Sam's face made Jack's already tense stomach twist painfully. She turned around slowly to face Daniel. He smiled shyly at her before looking around some more.

"Daniel?" Sam asked as though she didn't believe it. "Daniel!"

Suddenly full of excitement Sam got up out of the bed and rushed over to him. Daniel looked around for an escape, but found none. Sam reached out and put her hands on his shoulders to convince herself that he was real. Daniel stiffened in fright.

"Daniel?" Sam asked concerned.

"Please don't hurt me."

"No, no of course not." Sam pulled her hands away. "I can't believe you came back to us. This is incredible."

"Please, stay away from me."

"You don't remember me, do you?" Sam asked sadly as she took a step back.

Daniel weld his eyes shut and shook his head. Jack and Dr. Brightman were speechless as they watched the bizarre exchange. Tears slipped down Daniel's face as his fear grew. Alarmed Sam looked to Jack for guidance.

"Please," Daniel whimpered "where are my parents? I want to go home."

Concerned Sam stepped closer once again. This time Daniel reacted violently and pushed her away with surprising force. Jack managed to catch her before she fell. Realizing he'd done something wrong Daniel scrambled off the other side of the bed and tried to bolt.

"Airmen!" Jack barked.

The men that stood outside the infirmary doors reacted instantly and came in to take control of the situation. Daniel yelped in surprise and tried for the other door, however Teal'c calmly stepped into his path. When he ended up backed into the corner he lashed out at the Airmen without skill. They easily captured him.

"Mom! Dad!" Daniel cried at the top of his lungs. "Help me!"

"Doc! Do something!"

"Yes, Sir."

Dr. Brightman pushed past one of the stunned nurses and drew a syringe of sedative. Daniel's azure eyes widened in terror at the sight of the injection. He fought tactlessly against the men holding him. Unable to free himself he continued to call out to his long since dead family for help.

The sedative worked quickly and soon Daniel was struggling to keep his eyes open. Thick tears caught in his lashes and tumbled down his cheeks as he lost consciousness. Dr. Brightman instructed that he immediately be taken for a CAT scan.

"Teal'c, can you help them with Daniel?"

Teal'c nodded and took the sleeping archeologist from the Airmen. Jack took a deep breath and tried to figure out what had just happened. Sam had sat back down on the bed. She looked completely uninterested in the unusual events. Jack sat down on the bed opposite of her. Once again she gave him an odd look.

"Carter?"

"Has your hair always been that colour?"

"What colour?"

"Silver."

"Um...no."

"Oh, okay."

Jack studied Sam for a long minute. His mind raced to recall if this was the anniversary of some horrible practical joke that he had played on them in the past. He was hoping that they were just taking the phrase 'revenge is a dish best served cold' to a new level. However Sam showed no signs of mischief or mirth.

"Carter, what happened to you and Daniel?"

"Daniel?" Sam asked in confusion. "Daniel's dead, Sir."

"What?"

"Sir, what's going on?"

"I have no idea." Jack admitted. "You said Daniel's dead?"

"Of course. I mean I guess I should really say Ascended."

"Carter...you just saw Daniel."

"I did?" Sam asked and looked around. "I suppose I did, I mean he's only been gone for a few months."

"No, like a minute ago."

"I don't think I did."

Jack was left completely speechless. It was like she had totally forgotten the fact that Daniel had just been forcibly taken from the room. Sam looked at Dr. Brightman and then around the room.

"Sir?"

"Yes?" Jack answered distractedly.

"Where's Janet?"

"Janet? Dr. Frasier?"

"Of course. Who else? Where is she? She can tell you that Daniel's dead and that I'm alright."

"Carter, Janet died years ago."

"No, I just saw her this morning." Sam said confidently. "Are you sure you're feeling alright, Colonel?"

"Colonel?" Jack repeated.

Jack stared at Sam, she stared back at him in return. They both wore the same expression, and they both thought the other had lost their minds. Jack got up slowly and walked over to the remaining Airman.

"Take her to medical quarantine."

"Sir?" Sam asked fearfully. "What's going on? What's wrong?"

"I don't know...but we're going to figure it out."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"My name's Daniel, Daniel Jackson."

"Yeah," Jack sighed "we've been over that...several times."

Looking as though he'd been scolded Daniel bit his bottom lip nervously. Jack shook his head in frustration. He looked around the VIP room . They had been unable to keep him in medical containment. The hospital like environment had left him in a state of permanent terror.

Nothing could be said to calm him. He didn't know where he was, or who anyone else was. He just kept crying for his parents. It had been heartbreaking to watch. The elder Jacksons had been dead for nearly thirty years, but Daniel was convinced that they were alive and that he should be with them.

In the more 'homier' setting of the VIP room Daniel was doing better. He was still nervous, still unsure of himself, but at least he wasn't screaming. Sitting cross legged on the floor in the corner he kept a constant watchful eye on Jack.

"I...I'm American."

"What?"

"American." Daniel repeated. "Is this the embassy?"

"No, Daniel, this is an Air Force Base."

"Oh, okay." Daniel seemed to relax. "Can you please take me to the embassy?"

"What embassy?"

"The American embassy. They can help me."

"Help you with what?"

"Finding my parents." Daniel answered excitedly. "My father always told me that if we ever got separated that I should try and get to an embassy. That's where they'll look for me first."

"Daniel..." Jack paused. "Daniel, your parents aren't looking for you."

Jack instantly regretted his words. Daniel's fear returned as he started to struggled for breath. He got shakily to his feet, but when Jack did the same he sank back on to the floor. Pressing his back into the corner he drew his knees up to his chest and hugged them tightly.

"I'm sorry, Daniel."

"I have to get to the embassy." Daniel whimpered. "Please, please take me there."

"There is no embassy, you are in America."

The simple statement of fact had a devastating effect on Daniel. Jack decided that he might as well have gotten up and physically smacked him across the face. Tears rolled down his cheeks. He tried to fight them, but after looking around and seeing nothing familiar he finally broke down.

Jack closed his eyes and sighed heavily. Daniel hid his face in his crossed arms and wept bitterly. The only other time he'd ever seen Daniel in grip of such uncontrollable tears was when he was recovering from the throws of sarcophagus addiction.

He had been able to offer his friend comfort then, there was nothing he could do now. Daniel froze in terror anytime anyone touched him. It was as if he expected to be beaten any time anyone laid even the slighted hand on him. He would watch your every move, trying to guess your intentions, only relaxing when released.

Daniel continued his pitiful sobbing until he was gasping for breath. After rubbing his face on the shoulder of his white scrubs he leaned his head back against the wall. For a few minutes he continued with the sporadic breathing rhythm one falls prey to after a cathartic cry.

From his place sitting on the bed Jack watched as his breathing finally calmed. Several minutes went by and Daniel didn't move. Deciding to leave and check on Sam Jack got to his feet.

Daniel jerked as though startled. His eyes snapped back into focus and he stared up at Jack. After a moment's worth of thought he smiled shyly. He got to his feet and quickly looked around before training his tear reddened eyes on Jack.

"Hello. My...my name is Daniel, Daniel Jackson."

"Damn it." Jack growled. "He's starting over again."

"Do you know where my parents are? I must have gotten lost, they'll be looking for me."

"Oh for crying out loud."

Daniel sensed Jack's frustration and cowered away from him. Jack went to apologize, but he knew it was pointless. Daniel couldn't seem to keep anything in his mind more than ten minutes. The only constant was his obsession with being reunited with his parents.

Jack turned to leave when Dr. Brightman stepped into the room. Daniel smiled at her, having seemingly forgiven her for sedating him earlier. She smiled at him in return and he responded by taking a step out of corner.

"How's Carter?" Jack asked.

"She's being very helpful and cooperative. She does not recognize me, no matter how many times I introduce myself. However she does recognize almost everyone else. She knows her way around the Base perfectly. She can, and will, describe Stargate physics at length and in detail. She is however showing signs of memory problems, particularly short term."

"Then Carter and Daniel must be suffering from something different."

"I don't think so. Their pathology is identical, with one twist."

"So what's happening?"

"I have a theory, but I have to ask Dr. Jackson something before I get ahead of myself."

"Go for it."

"Dr. Jackson?"

Daniel reacted to the name, but not as though she had been speaking to him. He looked around hopefully. Dr. Brightman stepped closer to him to make it clearer that she was addressing him. Daniel eyed her warily.

"Dr. Jackson?" Dr. Brightman repeated.

"Dr. Jackson is my father. Is he here?"

"No, I'm sorry, I meant to speak to you." Dr. Brightman corrected in a gentle tone. "Your name is Daniel, right?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Daniel, how old are you?"

"Seven."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"Say that again?"

"Korsakoff's Syndrome."

"Sounds like something you'd get from drinking too much vodka." Jack noted.

"Oh, so you've heard of it?" Dr. Brightman asked seriously.

"Um...no. That was a joke, it just sounds Russian."

"It is. Named for the Russian neurophychiatrist Sergie Korskoff who first described the disorder. It is related to alcoholism."

"Whoa, wait a minute, stop right there." Jack said with a flourish of hands. "Are you trying to tell me that this happens to people here? On Earth?"

"Yes and no. I mean they are exhibiting classic Korsakoff's. Their short term memory is shot, that's why every time they get distracted they go back to their starting point."

"Starting point?"

"They not only have anterograde amnesia, but also retrograde."

"Which is why Daniel thinks he's seven?"

"Right, he has no memories after that point. He's lost his whole life, and he can't remember any new information. In effect he's frozen in a moment in time. It's why we couldn't keep him in medical."

"I don't see the connection."

"Medical containment has large one way mirrors. When he sees his refection he's sent into shock because it's not what thinks he should look like. He sees a grown man, but he only has the mind and memories of a boy."

"Does Carter have that problem?"

"To a lesser degree. Her retrograde amnesia only seems to go back a few years, so her mental image is closer to what she sees, her mind can easily accept such small changes."

"Okay, so...can you fix it?"

"Normally Korsakoff's Syndrome is caused by a thiamine deficiency due to heavy alcohol ingestion or poor nutrition."

"Heavy drinking? Carter and Daniel?"

"I'm not saying that's what has caused it in their case. I'm just saying that normally injections of thiamine can help reverse the damage."

"However..."

"Neither one of them is suffering from thiamine deficiency."

"So...they have an Earth disorder with an Alien cause."

"That is my assessment."

"Great."

Jack thought about everything Dr. Brightman had told him, still not sure how much of it he believed. There was a rapid knock at his office door. He could just tell by the tone of the knock that this was trouble. A young nurse opened the door.

"General? Dr. Brightman?"

"Yes." Jack sighed.

"Colonel Carter is becoming increasingly agitated." The nurse announced. "She's demanding to see either Colonel O'Neill or Dr. Frasier."

"Technically neither of which is here." Jack said as he stood up. "Hopefully, I'll do."

Dr. Brightman followed Jack out of his office and down the hall. When he came to the medical containment door he took a deep breath before opening it. It had been difficult enough dealing with Daniel.

Sam was sitting up on the edge of the padded metal table. She appeared to have forgotten her agitation and waited patiently. Jack cleared his throat to announce his presence. Sam look at him with a flash of doubt, but then smiled brightly.

"Sir?"

"Yes."

"Did you sleep well last night?" Sam asked concerned.

"What?"

"You're looking...never mind."

"Old?" Jack guessed with a raised eye brow.

"I didn't say that."

"But you're thinking it."

"I don't know what I'm thinking."

"Why don't you try telling me anyway."

"It's like... It's like everything is slightly wrong." Sam replied and then gasped sharply.

"Carter?"

"You don't know me."

"Yes I do."

"No, I mean you don't know this version of 'me'." Sam explained quickly. "I don't belong here, I'm not in the right Universe. I...I have to get out of here, I have to get home."

"Carter, you are home, this is your Universe."

"You don't understand. There are infinite Alterna..."

"We know all about that, Carter. But you belong here. There is just something screwy with your memory."

"There is nothing wrong with my memory." Sam said confidently.

"Fine, I'll believe you if you can tell me her name." Jack nodded his head in Dr. Brightman's direction.

Sam looked at Dr. Brightman and studied her intently for a moment before turning back to Jack.

"That's not fair," Sam protested "she doesn't exist at the SGC in my Universe."

"Even if she didn't she has introduced herself to you several times."

"I've never seen her before."

"This is Dr. Brightman, she's been helping you for years."

"Sir," Dr. Brightman interrupted "there really is no point trying to explain to her that something is wrong. Even if you did convince her, she'll just forget again. She will continue to confabulate stories to try and cover the gap in her memory, but she won't remember her own reasoning."

"Don't talk about me like I'm not here." Sam growled.

"I'm sorry." Dr. Brightman apologized.

"Who are you?" Sam demanded angrily. "Where's Janet? I want to see her. I want to see my doctor."

"Janet's not here." Jack replied calmly. "Dr. Brightman here is going to help us figure this out."

"Sir, may I speak with you in private?" Sam asked suddenly.

Dr. Brightman looked to Jack and he nodded. Sam eyed her suspiciously as she left the containment room. Jack could see her keen intellect running a hundred miles an hour as she tried to piece together her broken memory.

"Sir, I don't trust this woman. If there is something wrong with my memory, she is causing it!"

"Car..."

"Sir, please, trust me on this. She's...she's a Goa'uld, she must be. She has you under some sort of spell the way Hathor did!"

"Carter, calm down."

"I'll calm down when someone tells me what is going on here!" Sam cried as she jumped down off the bed. Jack stepped closer. "No! Don't touch me!"

"I'm not going to hurt you."

Sam wasn't reassured by his words. She ducked under the bed to the other side so that she could get as far from him as possible. She looked up into the one way mirror and became transfixed by the image that was staring back at her with terrified aqua eyes.

"Carter?"

Sam jolted and turned to face Jack. She looked him up and down and then backed slowly into the corner.

"Sir?"

"Yeah." Jack sighed.

"Why are you dressed like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like a General."

"Because I am one."

"Oh my God..." Sam gasped. "I don't belong here, I'm not in the right Universe."

"Damn it." Jack growled.

"I...I have to get out of here, I have to get home!"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"So, your memory checks out, T?"

"Indeed." Teal'c nodded. "I have passed all of Dr. Brightman's test for both past and present memory capabilities."

"Good, cause I don't think I can take talking to another brick wall."

"I still can not come up with a logical explanation for what has happened to them."

"Okay, well let's just brain storm. You arrived on the planet..."

"The world of P2-X59 is a lush one. A path, most likely only traveled by animals, lead away from the Stargate towards a stone city that could be seen in the distance. It was unclear at the time if the city was abandoned or not. We made our way towards it in hopes of discovering a civilization or the remains of one. When night began to fall Colonel Carter made the decision to make camp."

"That's it?"

"Yes."

"Neither one of them wandered off?"

"I was only out of sight of Daniel Jackson for approximately five minutes."

"Where did he go?"

"I believe his mission was to urinate."

"Ah, and an important one it is." Jack sighed in defeat.

"Colonel Carter did not escort him."

"Good to know." Jack forced a smile.

"I should not have allowed him to leave on his own."

"Do be ridiculous Teal'c. Daniel can take care of himself, he's a big boy...or at least he was."

"When we retired for the night neither one of them were showing any signs of illness nor memory loss. In the morning I was unable to wake them, so I brought them back to the Stargate."

"You guys didn't come across any unusual artifacts, devices?" Jack asked hopefully.

"No."

"Daniel didn't touch anything that he probably shouldn't have?"

"Not to my knowledge."

"Carter didn't invert any Space Time Fabric type things?"

"I do not see how she could have. Most of the day was spent traveling."

"Something had to cause this."

"I would like permission to return to the planet to determine if I can discover the source of their aliment."

"Denied." Jack replied instantly. "I don't want you going alone, and at the moment we can't risk sending anyone else with you."

"Clearly I am immune to its effects."

"We can't know that." Jack shook his head. "You may simply have not been exposed."

"Daniel Jackson and Colonel Carter can not be allowed to stay in this state." Teal'c said firmly. "I am more than willing to take the risk of returning."

"Look, Teal'c, I want them back too. But we need to be careful. I can't let this happen to anyone else, no matter how willing they are to risk it."

Teal'c's face settled into stone, a statue of stoic displeasure. It was times like this that Jack was glad that Teal'c tended to follow orders. His brute strength was well contained, but there was always this feeling that at any moment he could lose his restraint.

Jack looked up with a weary expression when there was a knock at his office door. It had been more than twenty-four hours since he last slept and he didn't need anymore bad news. Dr. Brightman stepped in before she was acknowledged. She looked as though she hadn't slept any more sleep than Jack.

"Sir?"

"Yes."

"I'm afraid Dr. Jackson's condition has very suddenly taken a turn for the worse."

"What's wrong?" Jack asked as he jumped up from his place behind his desk.

"He just lost all interest in his surroundings, he's awake, but refuses to respond to anything other than physical stimulus. Even then his actions are listless."

"Is his life in danger?" Teal'c asked solemnly.

"His body is not the problem, it's his mind." Dr. Brightman answered. "I'm afraid he may have just lost all of his memory."

Jack and Teal'c exchanged a pained looked before they headed down to see their friend. Daniel hadn't moved from the corner where Jack had last left him. He stared at the floor sightlessly. Teal'c stayed by the door while Jack walked up and knelt down in front of Daniel.

"Hey there." Jack forced a smile. "Anyone home?"

As Dr. Brightman had already said Daniel was unresponsive. Jack reached out and touched Daniel's cheek as gently as possible. Daniel blinked, but other than that he made no sign that he was aware or cared about Jack's presence.

"Daniel...don't do this. Please."

Jack waited, but nothing happened. He pulled away from Daniel and dragged his hands through his shortly cropped silver hair. Shaking his head he stood up and turned to leave. He couldn't watch this. Teal'c offered him silent empathy, but it didn't help.

"They're gone...aren't they?"

Jack froze at the barely audible sound of Daniel's voice. He turned back around. Daniel still wasn't looking at him, but he was slightly more focused. Jack knelt down again and risked placing his hand on Daniel's shoulder.

"I...I can still hear her," Daniel continued vacantly "crying out to my father...then there was just stone...blood...the others were screaming, but they weren't...they were silent..."

"Daniel, stop this." Jack said desperately. "That was a long time ago, we're your family now."

"Sir, there is no sense in..." Dr. Brightman stopped when Jack shot her a murderous glare.

"Family? No. They're gone." Daniel whispered more to himself than anyone else. "The...the only family I have left doesn't want me. No one does."

"Daniel, that's not true." Jack replied fighting tears.

"Then why did he leave me here alone? Why didn't he take me with him?"

"I...I can't answer that."

"I can."

Daniel closed his eyes, but it didn't keep the salty tears from slipping from them. Without thought of the consequences Jack pulled Daniel into a comforting embrace. Broken Daniel degraded into bitter weeping once again. Jack closed his eyes against the sting of tears as Daniel griped his shirt as though it was the only thing keeping him from falling back into a endless void.

"This is actually a good sign." Dr. Brightman said softly.

"How can this possibly be a 'good sign'?!" Jack demanded angrily.

"He's regained some of his memory...he's older now."

"It's certainly aging me."

Dr. Brightman was left speechless. She had momentarily treated Daniel as a disease rather than a person and she regretted it deeply. Jack turned his attention back to the miserable creature shaking in his arms. He smoothed out Daniel's hair in an attempt to calm him, however it was pointless.

"Sir..."

"Just get something to sedate him."

"Sir, in all honesty I don't think that's a good ide..."

"I'm not going to just stand by and let him relive this." Jack growled as Daniel continued to soak his shirt in tears. "Get him something, now."

"He ne..."

"That's an order!"

"Yes, Sir."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"Teal'c! Sam!"

"Daniel!"

Sam's desperate cry jolted Teal'c into action. He fought against a formless foe with the ferocity of a lion, but the power of a lamb. His motion was restricted, but he couldn't feel anything biting into his flesh, nothing seemed to be holding him. Yet at the same time he could not reach his friend who was being dragged away.

It was dark, it was cold, and there was a sense of being closed in that invaded Teal'c's every sense. Sam was yelling, something about being peaceful, about being explorers, but her words just echoed down an empty corridor of stone and soft blue light.

Daniel's voice drifted back down the hall towards them. He tried to explain himself to his captors in a variety of languages, each one growing more desperate in tone as he raced to make himself understood. His rambling was cut short and for a terrifying moment the only thing Teal'c could hear was his own heartbeat.

The silence was torn by Daniel once again, this time an incoherent cry of panic that chilled Teal'c skin while at the same time boiling his blood. He was still unable to move forward and it wasn't until he looked over at Sam that he figured out why. She had her hand resting in the air like a mime pretending to be in a box. Sam looked to Teal'c helplessly as silence settled over their situation once more.

Teal'c's perception suddenly jumped, the scenery remained the same, but the situation had changed. In the background Sam's crystalline voice sang in pain. Daniel was now at his feet on his hands and knees. He retched violently, a strained, choking sound.

Taking Daniel by the shoulders Teal'c helped him sit back. Daniel looked up at him without seeing him. Bright liquid silver dripped from his parted lips and ran down his chin and throat. He swallowed convulsively before trying to spit the substance out.

A powerful grip around Teal'c's neck jerked him awake. Cold sweat soaked sheets had wrapped around his chest and neck, trying to keep him from breathing. Sitting up he untangled himself and looked around his room at the SGC. Nothing was out of place.

Disturbed Teal'c got out of bed and headed for the locker room. After washing off the sticky sweat he leaned forward against the cold tile and let the water slip down his back. He wasn't sure how long it took him to turn off the water, but eventually he pulled himself away from his trance like state.

Dry and dressed Teal'c prowled the midnight halls of the SGC. Slowly making his way to Jack's office he found the lights still on. Jack himself was curled up on a cot that he had dragged in.

Not wishing to disturb the sleeping General Teal'c took a seat in one of the chair's in front of Jack's desk. It took Jack's sixth sense about ten minutes to realize that something wasn't right. His eyebrows knit together and then his eyes slowly opened.

"Yaa!" Jack yelped.

"O'Neill."

"Teal'c, Buddy...don't **do** that."

"I am only sitting here."

"Exactly." Jack grumbled and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"I believe that I had a nightmare."

"Okay...can I get you a glass of warm milk?"

"I do not see how that would help."

"What would help?"

"I am not sure." Teal'c replied honestly.

"Do you...do you want to talk about the dream."

"I can not."

"Okay, I can understand that. Sometimes these things aren't easy to talk about."

"No, I can not tell you the dream because I do not remember it."

"Teal'c help me out here, what is the problem?"

"I do not know."

Jack put his head in his hands and sighed deeply. Teal'c watched him without moving. A soft knock at the door caught both of their attention. With dark circles under her eyes Dr. Brightman stepped into the room.

"Good morning, Sir." She said half heartedly.

"Morning already?"

"Barely." Dr. Brightman forced a smile.

"How are Carter and Daniel?"

"Colonel Carter remains unchanged, her retrograde amnesia appears to be at the same point in time as when she was first confined. However she seems to come to her Alternate Universe theory more quickly each time." Dr. Brightman paused and shifted her weight uncomfortably.

"What about Daniel?"

"Dr. Jackson has woken from sedation."

"And."

"I'm afraid he's regressed."

"How old is he now?" Jack groaned.

"My guess, three to four."

Jack stared at Dr. Brightman for a moment before lying back down on the cot. The springs protested under his weight. He brought his arm up and draped it over his eyes. Dr. Brightman looked to Teal'c but his full attention was focused on the weary General.

"Teal'c I need you to teach me." Jack mumbled.

"To do what, O'Neill?"

"Forget nightmares."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

"You can't do this to me."

"Daniel..."

"'Jackson'." Daniel growled.

"What?"

"Only my friends call me 'Daniel', and I have no friends here."

Jack stared at Daniel. He had never seen such cold fury in the young man's clear blue eyes. About ten minutes ago Daniel had become violent. He had demanded to talk to people that Jack had never heard of. Behind his anger Daniel's breathing was laboured with fear.

"Dan...Jackson, how old are you?"

"How many times are you people going to ask me that?" Daniel snarled. "Do you think the answer is going to magically change?"

"Please, just answer one more time."

"Fine, I'm seventeen, but I'm sure you can come up with a way to try me as an adult if you want to. If you just wait a couple of months I'll be one."

"Try you?"

"If you're attempting to get a confession out of me, you **suck** at it. This is bullshit. I want to talk to Sergeant Ames, now!"

"He...uh...he's not here right now."

"The fuck he's not!"

Jack took a step back. He wasn't used to hearing Daniel swear and for some reason he found it disconcerting. Daniel's original bravado was degrading into panic. He was starting to pace and rub at his wrists compulsively. Dr. Brightman had made it clear that continually medicating Daniel was not an option. So Jack had come to try and do something to help him, anything.

"I want to talk to Sergeant Ames!" Daniel demanded again. "At the very least I want to talk to a lawyer!"

"Please, just calm down."

"Calm down? Calm down?! I'm being accused of murder and you want me to _calm down_?!"

"Murder? There's nothing in your file about any criminal trials."

"That's because as of yet I haven't been given one. Are you trying to tell me I'm not going to? That you're just going to lock me away?"

"Da..."

"I may be homeless, but I still have rights!"

"No one is taking your rights." Jack assured even though he knew it was pointless.

Daniel's nervous energy finally got the best of him. He paced back and forth before throwing his fist into the concrete wall hard enough to make his knuckles bleed. He was oblivious to any pain the strike may have caused. He dragged his bloody hands through his hair and screamed incoherently in pure frustration.

"Daniel, I know you think no one's on your side right now, but please trust me: I only want to help you."

"I don't need your help." Daniel whispered. "Ames, he knows, he know I didn't do it...he knows I'd never hurt her. He knows me, he knows I would never..._could_ never hurt her. Let alone rape and murder...anyone."

Jack was left speechless, he knew nothing about this. Daniel suddenly turned tear brightened eyes on him, as though looking for confirmation of his innocents. Jack had been so taken by surprise that all he could offer was a blank stare.

Daniel sank to the floor in misery. Jack was still trying to think of something to say when the Base alarms went off. Closing his eyes for a moment Jack turned to leave to deal with whatever the new crisis was.

With his back turned Jack didn't noticed the tiny drop of metallic silver that slipped from Daniel's eye. He rubbed at the metal tear and it absorbed into the back of his hand. A violent tremor wracked his body for a fraction of a second. It went completely unnoticed.

Jack rushed down the hall in search of someone, anyone who knew what was going on. Eventually he came across Teal'c who was leading a small group of men. They looked like they had a mission.

"Teal'c, what the hell happened?"

"Colonel Carter has escaped."

"Come again?"

"She simulated a seizure, when the guards went to help her she knocked them unconscious, and ran."

"Why does that not surprise me?" Jack said dryly.

"Perhaps because Colonel Carter has been specially trained for escape."

"Yeah, I know." Jack huffed. "Where is she now?"

"We are still endeavoring to locate her."

"Please tell me the Gateroom is sealed."

"Indeed."

"Find her, minimal force."

Teal'c nodded and headed off again. Jack walked to the nearest phone and dialed in the Control Room.

"This is General O'Neill, turn that goddamn alarm off. Carter is freaked out enough as it is."

"Yes, Sir."

The Base returned to silence once again. Jack chewed on his bottom lip in thought.

"Where would you go?"

Having muttered the question out loud seemed to bring an answer to Jack's mind. With a hurried step he made his way downstairs. He reached Carter's lab and to his relief she was inside. She was at her computer, typing away as though nothing was wrong. Jack stepped inside as casually as possible.

"Hello, Sir." Sam greeted warmly.

"Hey, Carter. I was wondering if you could take a break there and come with me."

"Is it important? I'm really busy."

"With what?"

Sam lifted up a glass test tube that held a tiny quantity of some bright silver liquid. Jack stepped closer and took the glass vial from her. He swished the tube and the substance reacted as though it had the same viscosity as water.

"Isn't it fascinating?" Sam beamed. "I've never seen anything like it."

"What is it?"

"I don't know. I was just about to run some tests on it."

"Where did you get it?"

"I found it."

"Where?"

"Right here...in a puddle on my desk."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

"Daniel Jackson?"

Teal'c jerked in his sleep as another nightmare flooded his senses. Daniel was shivering intensely as if in the grips of hypothermia. Teal'c rubbed the silver from his lips even though it was seemingly evaporating away on its own. Teal'c shook off a slight dizziness.

Without warning Daniel's trembling was replaced by an agonizing seizure. He convulsed sickeningly in Teal'c's arms. Not knowing what else to do Teal'c simply kept Daniel from hurting himself until the spasm was over. Returning to a simple shaking Daniel's eyes roamed around aimlessly. Teal'c put his hand on Daniel's cheek. The contact helped focus Daniel's attention.

"Teal'c..." Daniel panted "I'm sorry..."

"You have nothing for which to apologize."

"I...I...told them."

"What is there to tell?"

"Ever...every..."

Teal'c watched helplessly as Daniel started to lose consciousness, he kept forcing his eyes open, but eventually the lids simply became too heavy. Daniel gave in and slipped into a restless sleep. In the background Teal'c could still hear Sam crying out.

Laying Daniel down on the smooth stone floor Teal'c threw himself against the invisible wall that kept him prisoner. Unlike any other force field he'd encountered this one gave off no energy pulse when struck. It was as if the air itself was simply solid. Teal'c didn't give up trying to break through. Sam's voice was getting weaker and soon it no longer drifted down the corridor.

Teal'c's situation changed again without warning. As with any dream he did not question the jump in 'reality'. He had his hand on Daniel's chest to keep him down during another seizure. As the muscles in Daniel's body relaxed Teal'c was distracted by a sharp yelp as Sam was thrown unceremoniously through the invisible barrier.

When Sam hit the floor she leapt to her feet and stumbled over to the corner. Unlike Daniel's mostly unproductive dry heaving Sam forced her index finger to the back of her throat and coughed up a large quantity of the same silver fluid that had marred Daniel's lips. She spat violently a few times before collapsing to the floor.

Teal'c tried to go to her but there was suddenly a strong grip on his left wrist. Teal'c automatically swung his free hand at his attacker. The force of the swing was enough to throw him out of his own bed. Jolted awake from the dream by the fall Teal'c was left painting for breath in a heap of sheets on the floor of his room.

Burying his face in his hands Teal'c desperately tired to keep a hold of the dream. It was important, he knew it was. However like a morning mist there was no capturing it and as the seconds past the details evaporated. All that was left was a lingering taste of violence.

Getting to his feet Teal'c didn't even bother to get dressed. Stalking the halls in his black silk boxers everyone in his path hastily moved to the side to let him pass. At the best of times Teal'c could be disconcerting to those who did not know him well. Right now he had the presence of a grisly bear who had just determined that a rival had stepped into his territory.

Teal'c first went to Jack's office, but found it empty. Colonel Carter had been found and returned to medical the previous evening. Jack had given the glass vial to Dr. Brightman, however every one was beginning to show signs of delirium from lack of sleep so he had ordered everyone to bed.

Assuming Jack was with either Sam or Daniel he sought out the next person he thought could help him. Dr. Brightman was in the medical lab staring at the silver liquid. It had been carefully transferred into a more secure container and Sam's lab had been quarantined off in case of contamination.

Teal'c didn't have to announce his presence, it was something that could just be felt. Dr. Brightman turned around, to weary to be surprised by the half naked Jaffa in her lab. Teal'c caught a glimpse of the silver liquid and furrowed his brow in thought.

"Teal'c? Can I help you?"

"I wish for my memory to be tested again."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

"Carter, this going to seem totally out of the blue, but does the name 'Ames' mean anything to you?"

"Ames...Ames."

"In relation to Daniel."

"Oh, yes, of course. David Ames. He died a few years back."

"What?"

"Don't you remember? Daniel couldn't come with us to P3-542 because he took the week off to go to the funeral."

"Did he ever tell you anything about him?"

"Not much. He was devastated by his death, apparently Ames had helped him get into college, even paid for a good deal of it."

"Do you know why?"

"No." Sam shook her head. "Daniel kind of talked in fragments when he spoke of Ames, which was understandable since he had just learned of the man's death."

"Do you know anything else?"

"Daniel did say that Ames was the only person who ever believed him."

"Believed him about what?"

"I didn't ask. I kind of assumed that he was talking about his theories about aliens in ancient Egypt."

Jack highly doubted that anyone outside the Stargate program had ever believed Daniel about aliens in Egypt. He knew that he had other things to worry about, but it was disturbing him that he didn't know about something as significant as a murder accusation in Daniel's history. He suddenly realized that he had never really thought about what Daniel had been like before the SGC.

"Carter, was he ever adopted?"

"No."

"How can I know so little about Daniel's past?"

"Well...how much does he know about yours?"

Jack didn't have a chance to answer's Sam's observant question. A knock at the door had quickly been followed by the arrival of Dr. Brightman. Sam looked over at her and smiled brightly.

"Have you figured out what's wrong with me yet?" Sam asked half teasingly.

"You know that something is wrong?" Dr. Brightman asked in surprise.

"Well it must be or I wouldn't be in here."

"Do you know her name?" Jack asked hopefully.

"Dr. Brightman." Sam answered with ease.

"What were you two just talking about?" Dr. Brightman asked casually.

"I don't know..." Sam concentrated for a moment. "Something about Daniel."

Dr. Brightman looked to Jack for confirmation and he nodded. Stepping closer she held up her pen for Sam to inspect.

"What colour is this pen?"

"The pen or the ink?"

"The pen."

"Purple."

Dr. Brightman handed her the pen and flipped the top sheet on the chart she carried so that there was a blank page. She handed this to Sam as well.

"Please write out your full name, rank, serial number, the names of your team members, and your commanding officer."

Sam looked instantly to Jack. He silently encouraged her to follow the instructions. She shrugged and began printing out the requested information. Jack peered at what she was writing.

"Hey, no cheating." Sam chuckled and playfully tilted the chart away from him.

"Sorry, you know I'm no good at tests."

"How'd I do?" Sam held up the writing.

"You passed with flying colours." Jack smiled.

"Not yet." Dr. Brightman said as she took the chart and pen away. She held the items behind her back.

"At least it's all correct." Jack said.

"That wasn't the test."

"What is?"

"Colonel Carter, what colour was the pen you were writing with?"

"Purple."

"Now she's passed." Dr. Brightman beamed. "She couldn't do that before."

"I couldn't?"

"No. Colonel you have been having severe difficulty with your short term memory. But I'm pleased to say that you're progressing."

"If you say so." Sam replied doubtfully. "What about Daniel and Teal'c?"

"Teal'c is fine." Jack answered before Brightman could. "And Daniel will be. Just worry about yourself right now. Okay?"

"Yes, Sir."

Dr. Brightman silently requested that Jack follow her towards the door. Sam still looked ill at ease, but at least she wasn't babbling about Alternate Realities. Jack met up with Dr. Brightman just outside the hall. He closed the door, but kept Carter in sight through the small glass window.

"Any luck on that silver stuff?"

"Yes and no." Dr. Brightman admitted. "I can't tell you what it is, but I can say with ninety-nine percent confidence that it is the cause of Colonel Carter and Dr. Jackson's condition."

"Really?"

"I don't have much of it to work with, and I'm not a chemist. I've given it to Dr. Hersh for further testing. However, I irradiated a tiny amount of it and injected it into a rat. The radioactivity allowed me to trace where in the body it traveled. All of it raced to the brain, more importantly to the Limbic System."

"Of course...the...uh...Limbic System."

"It is a part of the brain that is very important in memory storage and retrieval. The liquid isn't mercury, but it does have some of the actions of heavy metal poisoning, attacking and breaking down the hippocampus and mammillary bodies or in this case maybe just coating them."

"Someone poisoned Carter and Daniel?" Jack hissed in shock.

"Not necessarily, this substance may occur naturally on that planet. They could have ingested it in the water, absorbed it through the soil, possibly breathed it in a vapour, it's impossible to say."

"Why isn't Teal'c affected?"

"Again, I can't say. Although he is beginning to believe that he is."

"How so?"

"He came to me this morning to test out his memory again."

"And?"

"It's perfect as far as I can tell."

"Something's not right here."

"No, it's not." Dr. Brightman agreed. "But perhaps it's fixing itself."

"How is that possible?"

"I have no idea. I must admit that it makes no sense that Colonel Carter's body would be able to spontaneously reject a foreign element in this way. Even if she did, it should have turned up in her urine rather than just on its own."

"Something makes me doubt that Carter was peeing on her desk."

"I'm sorry I don't have more answers yet. Hopefully Dr. Hersh can help us identify it, maybe find a way to test for it in their systems. From there we can hopefully develop a method of removing it. Perhaps a chelation therapy."

"Chelation?"

"It's a way of removing heavy metals from blood using drugs."

"Have you tried chelatating that rat you injected?"

"Yes, Sir. So far to no effect, but that doesn't mean that I simply haven't found the right drug yet."

"Okay, keep working on it. Do you know where Teal'c is?"

"In my office, still playing memory games."

"Send him to my office, tell him I'll be right there."

"Yes, Sir."

Dr. Brightman left for her office. Before Jack left to go to his own office he opened the door to Carter's room. Sam looked up and forced a brave smile. The more of her memory she regained the more she seemed to realize that she was missing something.

"Carter, what colour was that pen again?"

"Purple, Sir."

"I love that colour."

"You hate purple."

"Not anymore."


	9. Chapter 9

NOTE from the PHOENIX: I've had the past few days off, the house is clean...so I've been spending all day writting. I don't usually get stories done this fast so don't get too used to it! Giggle.

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Chapter Nine

"Alright, T, Dr. B tells me you think your memory is screwy."

"Screwy?"

"Messed up, tampered with, not as it should be."

"Indeed."

"Okay, I want to talk about it." Jack forced a smile. "I take it you've been having more nightmares."

"Indeed." Teal'c sighed in uncharacteristic frustration. "They are most infuriating."

"What are they about?"

"I can not remember. The memories of them disappear upon my waking."

"Teal'c I know you have only been 'sleeping' for a few years now. So you probably don't know all the ins and outs of it. However it is perfectly normal for people to not remember their dreams or to quickly forget them."

Teal'c nodded his head solemnly, but he was still troubled. Jack waited for him to say something more. Teal'c remained lost in thought for several minutes before speaking again.

"It is more than the dreams alone." Teal'c admitted. "My memories of the journey back to the Stargate are that I carried Colonel Carter and Daniel Jackson back, and yet if I did so I traveled far faster than when we journeyed out when they were under their own power. So I am not sure if I would have truly been capable."

"You're more than capable, Teal'c." Jack assured. "However, Dr. Brightman had a name for this."

"Indeed she did: confabulation."

"Right. So you think it is possible that you made up the story about what happened on the planet without even knowing it? Your mind's way of covering up some sort of 'gap'?"

"I believe that to be quite possible."

"Okay, let's go over the story again and see if we can poke any holes it in."

Teal'c retold his story from the moment they stepped through the Gate to the moment where they had returned. He went into greater detail this time, pointing out when they took breaks, what the scenery was, even what everyone had for dinner. When he was done Jack took a moment to think about it.

"Who took the first watch?" Jack asked.

"The first watch was mine."

"So you never tried to wake Carter or Daniel in the night so they could take their watch?"

"I do not recall. That is not something I had thought of before. The only event I can recall for sure is that once in the daylight, they could not be woken."

"So there is a sizable gap." Jack said in concern. "Teal'c that's hours of unaccountable time."

"Indeed."

"Is it possible you simply feel asleep on watch?"

"I have no memory of waking." Teal'c's eyes lost their focus as he concentrated. "I am now unsure if I have a true memory of trying to wake them. Bringing them to the Stargate was my main concern."

"As it should have been."

"O'Neill, we must return to the planet if we are to discover what has happened."

"Teal'c the risks are still too great. It is looking more and more like this is an organic problem. Some sort of heavy metal on the planet that's poisoned them, and probably to a lesser degree, you. If that's the case then your memory loss is completely understandable."

"We would take Hazardous Material precautions."

"I haven't ruled it out yet, T. I just want to give Dr. Brightman and Dr. Hersh a little more time to figure out what we're dealing with before I expose anyone else. We've already had several major breeches in containment as it is."

"Colonel Carter and Daniel Jackson do not appear to be contagious."

"Appear is the operative word. They don't know they're sick...maybe we don't either."

"I find that highly unlikely."

"Yeah, well, you would."

Teal'c didn't seem to follow Jack's logic and raised his eyebrow in display of his disapproval. No matter how many times he saw that look, no matter what the circumstances, it always made Jack smile. His smile vanished as Dr. Brightman crashed into his office unannounced.

"Sir!" Dr. Brightman cried breathlessly. "It's...it's unbelievable...I...I just talked to Dr. Hersh...it's...incred..."

"Dr. Brightman, calm down." Jack snapped. "Deep breath."

"Si..."

"Deep breath." Jack insisted.

A cross look flashed across Dr. Brightman's face, but she followed the orders.

"Okay, now then...what's happening?"

"Sir, Colonel Carter and Dr. Jackson have been infected with Nanites."

"Nanites? As in..."

"As in: extremely tiny, amazingly designed, no longer theoretical, robots."

"Robots?"

"Robots."

"Oh for crying out loud."

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Another NOTE from the PHOENIX: I have just been reminded that Jack was infected with a kind of Nanite that aged him...I should have known they'd done something like this. For the sake of this story I'm going to pretend that episode never happened. Yes, I can do that, it's called artistic license.


	10. Chapter 10

NOTE from the PHOENIX: okay so I figured out a way to fix my Nanite slip. Giggle.

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Chapter Ten

"Is the answer 'purple'?"

"No, actually it's 'magnets'."

"Of course," Sam smacked her forehead "I should have known."

"Maybe next time you'll wait till I ask the question."

"Sorry, Sir."

"Just don't let it happen again."

Sam chuckled and shoved Jack's shoulder playfully. Jack smiled as well, just pleased to have the old Carter back. Looking around the small room Sam looked anxious to leave.

"Sir, I know that I've probably said this before, but I think my memory is fine."

"Actually Dr. Brightman agrees. Does this mean you can tell me what happened on the planet?"

"That's the one thing I have no memory of." Sam admitted. "The last thing I recall is going to sleep there, and from there it jumps to Dr. Brightman asking me about the pen."

"Great." Jack muttered.

"I'm sorry, Sir."

"It's not your fault, Carter. Apparently someone pumped you and Daniel full of Nanites."

"Nanites? Like the ones on Argos?"

"What?"

"The Nanites on Argos that caused you to age rapidly."

"Oh yeah, I had forgotten about that."

"How could you forget something like that?"

"It's a talent of mine." Jack smiled. "Helps me sleep at night."

"What were these Nanites programmed to do?"

"Your guess is as good as mine."

"If someone captured us for some sort of experiment, how did we escape?"

"Again, you're asking the wrong guy. But if I had to venture a guess I'd say Teal'c had something to do with it."

"He doesn't remember?"

"No. He didn't end up with the total memory loss like you and Daniel, but there are gaps."

Sam went silent with thought. Jack pretended to do the same, however at this point he was to tired to put too much energy into any analytical thinking. Sam on the other hand was in overdrive. He could see it in the way her eyes tracked back and forth as though she was reading something. For all he knew she was, some sort of internal hard drive that she was scanning for solutions.

"Carter?"

"Sorry, Sir, I'm just trying to make sense of all of this."

"Well, if anyone can it's you."

"Thanks, Sir." Sam forced a smile. "How's Daniel?"

"Not good."

"Why would the Nanites leave me on their own accord and not him?"

"I don't know, maybe it has something to do with the Naquadah in your blood."

"That's doubtful."

"Just a thought."

"Can I see him?"

Jack didn't answer right away. He wasn't sure if it was wise to just assume that she was back to normal. They still had no way of testing for the Nanites because they weren't swimming around in either Sam nor Daniel's blood. From the rat that Dr. Brightman had injected it looked as though they were only interested in neural matter.

"I understand, Sir." Sam said when she didn't get an answer. "I could still be a containment hazard."

"Actually I guess that's a moot point. You've already been running around the SGC."

"I have?"

"Yeah, you managed a nice escape."

"I did?"

Jack smiled and nodded. Sam jumped down off the bed she'd been sitting on and followed Jack out of the room. Since Daniel was being kept in one of the VIP quarters he was on a different floor, so they headed to the elevators. When the elevator opened Dr. Brightman was there.

"Sir, I was just coming to find you."

"Here I am."

"How are you feeling, Colonel Carter?"

"Normal."

"Good. I've got more promising news."

"Finally." Jack beamed. "What cha got?"

"The rat that I injected has his memory back."

"How can you tell? Doc...you haven't been 'talking' to the rats have you?"

"No, Sir. The rat was specially trained to run a maze. He was unable to perform it when first introduced to the Nanites. This morning the Nanites were on the bottom of the cage and he could run it."

"Once they've preformed some task they leave." Sam guessed.

"It would seem that way."

"So once they've had their fun with Daniel, they'll let him go?" Jack asked.

"It looks that way."

"Shouldn't they have done so by now? I mean Carter's left her over forty-eight hours ago."

"What if..." Sam trailed off.

"Carter?"

"Sir, what if there is something about Daniel that makes the Nanites unable to perform whatever it is they are trying to accomplish?"

"What?"

"Think about it. If they are programmed to leave, their must be a trigger for it. If Daniel prevents the trigger the Nanites will just run their program over and over again. An endless loop."

"What would we do if that was the case?" Jack asked concerned.

"I'm not sure there would be anything we could do." Dr. Brightman replied. "After fifteen hours without a host they deactivate and so far Dr. Hersh has found no way to reactivate them. So now we don't have anymore active Nanites to experiment with."

Jack looked to Sam for another suggestion, however she just shrugged. He reached up and rubbed at his suddenly throbbing temples. Sam and Dr. Brightman exchanged a worried glance, not knowing how to help their General.

"How could I have forgotten?" Jack growled to himself.

"Forgotten what, Sir?"

"How much I hate Nanites."

Jack pushed past Dr. Brightman and stepped into the elevator. Sam quickly followed. Jack remained silent on their trip in the elevator and to Daniel's room. The two Airmen standing guard greeted him respectfully.

In the room they found Daniel laying on his stomach on the floor concentrating on a game of tic-tac-toe with Teal'c. On the table was an abandoned game of chess. Jack knew from experience that Daniel didn't have enough memory to make it more than a few moves into a chess game before he forgot what he was doing. Teal'c looked up from their game.

"Colonel Carter, I hear that you are improving."

"I'm fine now."

"I wish the same could be said for Daniel Jackson."

"Teal'c, there is nothing wrong with me." Daniel sighed and then looked up at his new guests. "Jack, Sam, thank goodness. Can you please tell Teal'c I'm fine? I'd really like to get out of this room, but he won't let me."

"Daniel, how long have you known Teal'c?"

"Just under a year, why?"

"Just curious."

"Daniel, you've been friends with Teal'c for almost ten years." Sam corrected.

"It doesn't help, Carter. You can explain it to him all you want, he'll just forget it again."

"Forget what?" Daniel asked nervously. "What's going on? Why are you talking about me like that?"

"Easy, Daniel." Jack replied evenly. "Why don't you and Teal'c just finish your game."

"What game?"

"See what I mean?" Jack sighed to Sam.

"I was like this?"

"Yup. Only you stayed in one point in time. Daniel's 'age' keeps changing. He doesn't always get older, he goes back and for..."

Jack stopped when he realized how agitated Daniel was becoming. Getting to his feet Daniel back away from everyone with a look of apprehensive alarm. Jack just shook his head, knowing that in a few more minutes Daniel would forget his suspicions. Closing his eyes Daniel raked his hands through his hair and then looked up at Jack accusingly.

"Did you...did you cut my hair?" Daniel asked incredulously. "Why, why would you do that?"

"It looks better this way." Jack shrugged.

"Seriously, Jack, what's going on?"

"It's nothing to worry about. We're fixing it."

Daniel flashed him an angry look, but it quickly dissolved into weary defeat. He nodded slowly and looked around without interest. Sam watched him with her eyes brightened with unshed tears. Jack on the other hand was almost numb to seeing Daniel like this.

"Alright," Jack sighed "Carter, if you're up to it I'd like you and Teal'c to see if you can piece together anything that happened that night. Maybe together you've got a better chance of rem...um...Daniel?"

Daniel had backed into the corner. More than just trembling, he was actually shivering. Jack turned around and opened the door to order one of the guards to get Dr. Brightman as quickly as possible. By the time he turned back Daniel was steady again, but breathing hard.

"Please, don't hurt me, we're just peaceful explorers." Daniel held his hands up in a placating manner. "Wrong language? How about: por favor, no me dolió, somos exsplorers apenas pacíficos. No? Пожалуйста, не травмируйте меня, мы - только мирный. Alstublieft, niet kwetst mij, zijn wij slechts vreedzame. Bitte verletzt mich nicht, sind wir nur friedliche...uh...Tek nies, monestri ack, ankni doa tero..."

"Daniel, stop that." Jack snapped. "You're freaking me out."

"Is any of this getting through?" Daniel asked desperately. "Do you understand anything I'm saying?"

"I never understand you, Daniel."

"Jack?"

"That's right."

"How did you get here?"

"Where is 'here'?"

"I...I don't know...oh my God..."

"Daniel..."

Jack stopped as Daniel suddenly lost all of his colour. He pressed himself harder into the corner. Clutching his head he sank to the floor with a growl of animalistic rage that rose into a wail of agony. The rest of the team was frozen in shock. It wasn't until Daniel broke into sobbing that Jack snapped out of his spell. He stepped up and knelt down in front of him.

"Daniel, it's alright. You're safe, we're going to help you."

"I...I'm sorry." Daniel panted. "I'm so sorry."

"This isn't your fault."

"I told them."

"Da..."

"I told them everything...without saying a word."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

"Could you tell me another story?"

Sam smiled, but at the same time she had to blink away the acid sting of tears. Daniel was laying on his stomach on the bed with his chest propped up on a couple of pillows. His blue eyes were reddened once again by tears that he had already forgotten about.

He had regressed again and along with his young age had come the terror of being alone in an unfamiliar place. Jack was exhausted and Teal'c made Daniel nervous, so Sam was doing what she could to put him at ease. Daniel put his chin down on the pillows he was hugging and watched her expectantly. 

"Please?" Daniel asked sweetly. "Just one more."

"Alright," Sam smiled and sat down on the side of the bed "one more. Once upon a time there was a brash Air Force Colonel and his rag-tag team of misfits fighting against an evil creature who claimed to be a snake god, but was really just a slimly snake bent on destroying the Earth..."

As Sam retold Daniel a story of his own exploits he hung on her every word. He was so enthralled that he lost his anxious edge and began to truly enjoy the tale. He kept quiet as she told him of their defying of orders to take on Apophis, but his changing expression betrayed what he was thinking. Sam wasn't sure if it was just her own imagination, but Daniel actually looked younger to her than he ever had.

"So now our hero is stuck on an alien craft that is about to _explode_." Sam made a hand signal that seemed appropriate for an explosion. "However, the young archeologist wasn't going to go down without a fight. He had a plan."

"He used the Gate, didn't he?" Daniel said excitedly.

"That's right." Sam smiled. "He out foxed the nasty Goa'uld with their own Gate."

"What about his friends?" Daniel asked with genuine concern. "How did they get away?"

"Well, Colonel O'Neill just happens to be one of the best pilots in the whole Solar System, maybe the Galaxy." Sam chuckled. "While in the belly of the other ship they stole a fighter plane and high tailed it out of there just as the ships were bursting into flames. And thus the Earth was saved."

"You tell the best stories." Daniel announced.

Sam smiled and stood up as Daniel stifled a yawn. 

"All right Mister, bed time."

Daniel rolled his eyes, but didn't look like he was going to put up a fight. He rolled over onto his back as Sam pulled down the sheets. In an act of grace that Sam didn't usually associate with Daniel he somersaulted so that he was at the proper end of the bed and then wriggled under the sheets. 

Sam pulled the fleece blanket up to his chest. Daniel smiled gratefully but suddenly his eyes were full of sorrow again. It broke Sam's heart to see the tiny spark of happiness he'd just had flicker out. She reached out and gently brushed back his hair.

"What's wrong?"

"I...I wish I could part of a team like that." Daniel whispered.

Sam was speechless.

"They sound..." Daniel paused "they sound like a family."

"I guess in a lot of ways they are." Sam replied softly. "Get some rest, Daniel."

"Could you stay until I fall asleep?"

"Of course."

Daniel smiled as his eyes slowly closed under the weight of sleep. Sam leaned forward and kissed his forehead. She didn't have to wait long before Daniel's chest was rising slowly in sleep. When she turned to leave she jumped a little as she discovered she had company. She looked back to make sure that she hadn't woken Daniel and then joined Jack in the hall.

"How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough." Jack replied with a sad smile.

"We have to help him, Sir."

"We're going to." 

"Is Dr. Mackenzie here?"

"Yup." Jack looked Sam over for a minute. "You know you don't have to go through this hypnosis thing again if you don't want to."

"I want to."

"Alright, let's go."

Sam followed Jack down into the bare, distractionless room that they had used the last time when her memory had been scrambled by Nem. Dr. Mackenzie smiled at her reassuringly and helped her get comfortable in the lone chair beneath the pulsing light. Jack stood a few back with his arms crossed over his chest. 

"Colonel, I want you to relax, as deeply as you can."

Sam listened to Dr. Mackenzie's soothing voice. She didn't have the same fears and doubts about hypnosis as Jack did. She allowed her mind to relax, she let her memory flow freely without trying to remember any one thing. 

"Now then...I want you to go back. You're on your last mission..."

"There is a city in the distance..."

"Tell me about it."

"It looks abandoned, but we can't tell."

"What do you do?"

"We decided to try and reach it."

"But the journey is too far, right?" Mackenzie lead Sam through her memories.

"That's right...we make camp."

"Then what?"

"Teal'c takes watch, Dani... No!" Sam suddenly cried. "No, wait!"

"What is happening?" Dr. Mackenzie asked calmly.

"Someone...someone is taking him."

"Taking who?" 

"Daniel." Sam replied vacantly. "Someone's taking him from us."

"Us?"

"Teal'c is with me. He's angry. He can't help. Neither of us can."

"Why not?"

"I...I don't know. We just...can't. It's cold, and dark."

Sam furrowed her brow, trying to concentrate on why she can't get to Daniel. Her memories of it made no sense to her. She simply couldn't move forward, even though nothing seemed to be in the way. Then she was no longer even trying to get through, she was just staring at Teal'c in horror.

"What happens next?" Dr. Mackenzie pressed.

"Screaming..." Sam whispered as tears slipped from her aqua eyes. "Daniel's screaming."

"Is he asking for help?"

"No. His voice just slices through the cold air...but their are no words."

"Can you see him?"

"No. But they're torturing him, I don't know why...but they are. They must be."

"Who are they?"

"I don't know."

"Are they human?"

"I don't know." Sam repeated in a monotone.

"Is there anything you can tell me? Anything that you know?"

"Daniel is going to die." Sam whimpered. "He can't possibly survive whatever they're doing to him."

"But that doesn't happen." Mackenzie points out. "He lives."

"Yes." Sam nodded slowly. "They bring him back...I expect him to be bloody."

"But he isn't?"

"No. There isn't a scratch, and yet..."

Sam stopped and gasped sharply. Her eyes lost all of their focus as she began hyperventilating.

"Colonel Carter, you are safe here. What is happening now?"

Sam didn't answer. Jack stepped forward as her frame tensed. He reached out to touch her, but Dr. Mackenzie stopped him. Sam weld her eyes shut and let out a blood curdling scream that half of the Base must have heard.

"Carter!" Jack cried. 

Sam collapsed to the floor in a fit of dry heaving. Jack dropped down beside her and rubbed between her shoulder blades. She continued retching until she spat bile. When her stomach seemed to calm Jack helped her sit up. She instantly rubbed away the tears that were tracing down her face.

"Carter?"

"I'm sorry, Sir." Sam panted. "I'm so sorry..."

"For what?"

"I...I told them. I told them."

"What did you tell them?"

"Everything...literally."

"Literally?"

"Everything I know, everything I've ever known." 


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

"Okay, Carter, lay this out for me in the simplest of terms. What are the chances that this was not a malicious act, that these Nanites are free living on the planet?"

"Well, Sir, have you ever heard of Eric Drexler's Grey Goo theory?"

"Someone had a theory and decided to call it 'Grey Goo'?"

"In later years he regrets having invented the term."

"Imagine that." Jack replied dryly.

"The point is, it was about how if nanotechnology was somehow allowed to get out of hand then self replicating Nanites could destroy all life on Earth. They would simply consume all living matter while building more of themselves."

"Colonel Carter, these Nanites do not appear to replicate." Teal'c pointed out.

"No, but that doesn't mean that they didn't get out of hand. Since they seem to destroy memory a civilization infested with them would quickly fall."

"But you got better."

"Yeah, but we're dealing with a test sample of two, one who recovers and one who does not. Statistically that proves absolutely nothing."

"What about all this 'telling them everything', that would seem to point towards someone being behind all of this."

"I don't remember anything I said under hypnosis, it could have been delusions."

Jack sighed in frustration and folded his arms on the briefing room table. Sam forced a smile, knowing that she wasn't telling the General what he wanted to hear. Teal'c looked bored, but everyone knew that he simply believed this to be a waste of time. In a lot of ways he was right.

"I'm sorry, Sir." Sam said. "I simply can't offer you a good risk analysis of returning to the planet. Even if this was done by aliens what's to keep us from simply being captured again?"

"We would be on our guard this time." Teal'c growled. "I wish to return."

"So do I." Sam admitted. "I'm just playing Devil's Advocate."

"I think we can all agree by now that Daniel isn't going to get better on his own." Jack mused out loud. "He's been sick three days longer than Carter without even a glimmer of recovery."

"If we are to discover a solution we must return to the planet." Teal'c insisted.

"Carter?"

"I agree."

"If we do this, we have to do it alone. I can't order another SG team to risk their lives for Daniel's. I shouldn't even been allowing us to do it. So, are you in for yet another suicide mission?"

"Indeed."

"As ironic as it sounds," Sam smiled "it seems to be what we live for."

"Alright, Kids, let's go."

The team stood at the bottom of the ramp waiting for the Gate to dial out. There had been a discussion on if HazMat precautions were a good idea or not. In the end everyone agreed that the chances of ambush were far greater than random infection. The bulky HazMat suits would put them at a serious disadvantage in the event of a fight. Dr. Brightman had not been thrilled when she had learned of the mission.

"You are either incredibly brave or out of your minds." Dr. Brightman had sighed.

"Can't it be both?"

"General, please...be careful."

"Always."

The wormhole finally established and the team walk up the ramp without hesitation. It had been a few months since Jack had been through the Gate and the quick trip reminded him how much he really didn't miss the icy cold of Gate travel.

On the other side was a lush planet just as Teal'c had described. They were up on a high hill and in the distance the spires of a city could just be seen. From this distance it was impossible to tell if it was inhabited.

"Okay, now what?" Jack asked.

"We should walk towards the city the way we did before."

"Alright, keep a sharp..."

With a bright flash the scenery completely changed. The bright outdoors had been replaced by a cold, dark room lit only by a soft glowing light that had no discernable source. The room was almost completely featureless with smooth metal walls.

"...eye out." Jack finished.

"So much for not getting captured again." Sam said as she raised her P90.

"Was it my imagination or did that little trip have all the flavour of an Asgaurd beam?"

"It did indeed share many of the same characteristics." Teal'c nodded.

"Yes, I'm pleased that I got it right." A voice suddenly chimed.

With weapons raised the team warily eyed the new addition to the room. A thin man with spiky blonde hair stepped through a newly created archway. His simple clothing was made of an oddly iridescent black material. His blue eyes were so clear as to almost be colourless.

"We were wondering if you would return." The alien smiled warmly. "You must be O'Neill."

"Maybe."

"Colonel Carter, thank you for the instructions on the Asgaurd beam. It is a most wonderful piece of technology."

"I...uh...I don't know how to build one."

"Yes you do. You just don't consciously know it. All the knowledge is there, you just haven't had the chance to piece it together."

"Really?" Sam asked, suddenly fascinated. "Through my memories alone you were able to recons..."

"Carter!"

"Sorry, Sir."

"Alright since you seem to speak English..." Jack started.

"Thanks to Dr. Jackson I speak many of your Earth languages." The alien looked the team over and furrowed his brow. "Where is he?"

"Completely out of his goddamn mind." Jack snarled. "What the hell did you do to my team?!"

"Please, calm yourself. I have assured the others that you are harmless, but if you continue to yell they will force me to make you leave. My name is Tekis."

"I don't care."

"You are understandably upset. But I assure you we meant no harm."

Jack was speechless with rage. Before he started yelling again Sam lowered her gun and stepped forward. Tekis watched her fearlessly.

"Tekis, whatever your intentions were our friend is very sick. He can't remember anything for more than a few minutes and he keeps jumping back and forth in his own memories."

"It is a regrettable side effect of our methods, but I assure you it will pass."

"But it isn't." Sam insisted. "I was affected as well, which I'm sure you know, but I recovered days ago."

"Yes, I am sorry that you were allowed to leave before recovering." Tekis apologized. "We normally keep our subjects until the end so that they do not harm themselves."

"Why didn't you?" Jack asked.

"Your Jaffa friend here proved to be extremely destructive. We had most of what we wanted so we felt it best to simply let them go."

"And what exactly was it that you wanted?"

"That is not important."

Sam had to cut Jack off once again to keep him from starting another argument. Tekis smiled at her with seemingly genuine affection.

"Please, Tekis, we only want help for Daniel."

"Once the Nanites complete their program they will leave him. There will be no lasting side effects."

"What is this 'program'?" Jack demanded. "What does it do?"

Tekis looked at Jack calmly without offering any kind of explanation. Teal'c took an aggressive step forward but Sam stopped him with a gentle touch. Teal'c stared at Tekis with murderous intent but did not proceed.

"Tekis, if you mean us no harm, then you'll help us. Something is terribly wrong with Daniel, I don't think your program is working properly with him. Please, just tell us what it does, maybe together we can figure out what's gone wrong."

Tekis considered Sam request for a moment before sighing. He looked around as if making sure that he was alone.

"Since you are scientist I will explain. The Nanites are programmed to infiltrate the memory centers, copy all they find, and broadcast it. Once they have accomplished that they leave and deactivate. They are also designed to interrupt any memories involving the process."

"Which is why Teal'c and I can't remember what happened to us."

"Yes, although I am surprised that he was affected by this. I never got the chance to work with him."

"'Work with him'?" Jack spat. "You sic..."

"He must have come in contact with a small quantity of them so that they did not run their full program." Tekis mused out loud, unphased by Jack. "Nanites work together, I've never done a study on what a small quantity of them are capable of doing on the body."

"I'm about to start a study on what a small quantity of bullets are capable of doing on the body." Jack growled.

"Sir, please. Tekis, how long does this process usually take?"

"Three to four days."

"Then why is Daniel still infected after more than a week?"

"Perhaps it has something to do with the large number of languages that he knows." Tekis shrugged. "In any case Daniel Jackson will be restored as soon as the Nanites have copied his memory...although unfortunately since he is not here I can not receive any of it."

"That's it...that's the problem." Sam muttered as she ran through a theory in her mind.

"Carter?"

"Sir, Daniel's memory is just about as close to infinite as it can get. The Nanites can't leave because they are being overloaded."

"That is impossible." Tekis said firmly. "A human life does not contain enough information to keep the Nanites busy for more than a few days."

"Daniel holds more than just the memories of a human life." Sam continued. "He has the memories of an entire, extremely sophisticated, race."

"The Ancient Knowledge." Jack caught on.

"Even the replicator version of myself couldn't handle all of that information."

"Daniel Jackson holds all the knowledge of the Ancients?" Tekis asked.

Jack noticed the tone of shock in Tekis's voice and narrowed his eyes suspiciously. The alien watched him calmly, waiting for an answer with all the patients of an inanimate object.

"Maybe." Jack replied warily.

"You must return him to me."

"Not a chance."

"If what Colonel Carter says is true the Nanites will continue to work on his memory until they have received it all. From what I have learned of the Ancients it will take thousands of years."

"Daniel Jackson does not have thousands of years to live." Teal'c said gravely.

"Then they will continue on their mission until he dies." Tekis replied.

"Then get them out of him!"

"Return him to me and I will."

"How about you just tell us what to do, and we'll do it ourselves."

"You can not. They must be reprogrammed to leave and that can only be done here. I will send you back to the surface to retrieve him from your world."

"Forget it!" Jack snarled.

Tekis looked to Sam as if she was going to be on his side for some reason. Sam took a step back to show that she wasn't about to defend him. Tekis looked around before taking a step closer. He locked eyes with Jack.

"General O'Neill." Tekis said gravely. "Return Dr. Jackson to me..."

"Not happening."

"Then you condemn him to be frozen in time, no present, no future. Forever."

"No, wai..."

Sam was cut off as they were beamed back to the Stargate. The team took a second to reorient themselves. Jack paced around, hoping to find an entrance to the cavern, but there was only forest. Frustrated Jack started muttering something under his breath.

"Sir?"

"If there is one thing I hate more than Nanites, the arrogant s-o-bs that create them."


	13. Chapter 13

NOTE from the PHOENIX: Yes, yes, I know, I know...the POV changes several times during this chapter. I command you to cope.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Chapter Thirteen

"Um...where are we going?"

"Just a quick trip."

"Okay...uh...I don't mean to alarm anyone," Daniel looked around the Gateroom nervously "but I have no idea what's going on."

"Are you trying to suggest that you usually do?" Jack forced a smile.

"Jack, seriously, I can't go on this mission." Daniel started backing away from the dialing Gate. "I have to go to the infirmary. Something isn't right. I...I think I'm losing my mind."

"You lost it a week ago. This trip is about getting it back."

"Oh...okay."

Daniel still didn't look very convinced. As the Gate locked the final Chevron the vortex lashed out at them causing Daniel to yelp in surprise. When he went to back away Jack reached out and snatched a handful of his SG-1 jacket. Daniel had been able to recognize Jack a minute ago, but that had clearly changed.

He was switching around in time more rapidly than he used to. Sometimes in mid sentence he'd suddenly shiver and a different version of himself would be looking out. Sam had slowly picked up on a pattern of sorts. Although there was no telling which age he'd jump to, there were only certain ages that ever appeared. Dr. Brightman suspected that each age that surfaced was connected with a particularly strong memory.

"Come on." Jack tugged on Daniel's jacket.

"What? What the hell is happening?!" Daniel demanded as he jerked out of Jack's grip. "What is that thing?!"

"Daniel..."

"How do you know my name?"

"Oh for crying..." Jack rolled his eyes. "Teal'c, pick him up and let's go."

Teal'c nodded and turned to Daniel. His blue eyes widened in terror as Teal'c slowly approached him. He looked for an escape, but they had closed the doors into the Gateroom. He didn't dare go near the uniformed Airmen standing by.

Before he could make a decision on what to do Teal'c had him by the wrists. Daniel jerked back and tried to twist himself free. Teal'c spun him around to hold both his wrists behind his back. When he struggled again Teal'c was forced to pull one of Daniel's wrists up towards his shoulder blades to keep him still.

"You're hurting me! I've done nothing to you, I don't even know you!"

"I am sorry, Daniel Jackson."

"Let me go!" Daniel cried. "Help me! Someone help, please!"

"We're trying." Sam said softly.

"Come on, the wormhole isn't getting any warmer." Jack grumbled.

"Sir, are you sure we're doing the right thing?"

"I'm open to suggestions, Carter. The Tok'ra aren't answering any of our calls, which is probably just as well since I doubt they could or even would help us. Thor is off on some super secret mission and might be gone for years. The Tollan are dead, the Nox could care less..."

"I see your point, Sir."

"I don't like it anymore than you do."

"What if this Tekis just takes Daniel and milks him for Ancient Knowledge for the rest of his life? Tekis might become really dangerous with that kind of information."

"I'm way ahead of you, Carter. If we're not back in three days I have standing orders to send some serious explosives through the Gate."

Jack didn't give Sam a chance to protest such drastic measures. He was not in the mood for a moral discussion. He walked up to the event horizon and stepped through. Daniel gasped at Jack's disappearance and renewed his efforts to escape. However, he was no match for Teal'c's strength and was easily forced through. Sam quickly followed.

"Teal'c?" Daniel asked on the other side. "What are you doing?"

"It is difficult to explain." Teal'c replied as he released him.

"Try me."

"You have been infected with memory damaging Nanites that we are endeavoring to remove. You became resistive on the SGC side of the Stargate and had to be forcibly moved."

"Ah, right." Daniel took a step away from Teal'c. "Jack? Any of this true?"

"Every word of it."

"Has it been one of those days?"

"More like one of those weeks." Sam smiled.

"So now wha..."

Daniel was cut off as the team was once again transported to the catacombs below. Sam looked over and saw the wide frightened eyes of a child in Daniel's expression. These transportation trips weren't good for him and kept initiating his changes.

Daniel starting chewing on his bottom lip as he looked around. When he saw his options he chose to step closer to Sam. She smiled and held out her hand. Relaxing somewhat Daniel accepted the offer.

"Where is my Mother?"

"She left you with us for a little while." Sam replied softly. "It's alright, you're safe."

"Oh...okay."

Jack looked around the featureless room, annoyed that Tekis was taking his sweet time. When he finally did arrive Jack had to use all of his restraint to keep himself from smacking the man's grin off his face. Ignoring the others Tekis walked briskly up to Sam and Daniel.

"Ah, Dr. Jackson." Tekis greeted warmly.

Daniel quickly scurried around to hide behind Sam. He buried his face in her jacket for psychological comfort. Tekis knit his brow as if he didn't understand. He looked up at Sam and smiled.

"Give him to me, I will fix this."

"Hold on a minute there, Cheezemo." Jack interrupted.

"My name is Tekis."

"Whatever."

"This is why you brought to me, is it not, General?"

"Yeah, but we're not just handing him over to you. Is this going to be painful?"

"Unfortunately, yes. The Nanites travel along neural pathways, which confuses them into thinking they are being damaged."

"Then it will have to wait." Jack said firmly.

"For what?"

"Until he's older." Jack answered simply.

"What?"

"He's just a kid right now. I'm not going to let you hurt him until he at least has a chance of understanding what's happening."

Tekis stared at Jack for a moment looking for all the world like Jack was playing some sort of joke on him. When Jack's expression remained as cold and hard as ice a flash of anger washed over Tekis.

"This is absurd." Tekis growled. "He isn't going to remember any of this when it's over. What could it possibly matter?"

Tekis grabbed Daniel by the upper arm causing him to wail in panic. Before Sam could stop Tekis herself Jack seized the wrist that was holding Daniel. He forced Tekis to release his captive and then jerked him around to face him.

"It matters to me."

Once released Daniel huddled in Sam's protective embrace crying quietly. Tekis looked down at the strong hand wrapped around his wrist. He narrowed his eyes and Jack abruptly yelped in pain and jerked his hand back.

"What was that?"

"That was a warning not to ever touch me again." Tekis snarled.

Teal'c stepped in between Tekis and the rest of the team, staring at him silently. Tekis showed no signs of fear, however he did sigh heavily. In Sam's arms Daniel shivered one again. He pulled away from her.

"Sam?"

"May we proceed now, General?" Tekis asked in ire.

"Fine, but we're coming with him."

"I am not sure that this is something you will wish to witness." Tekis said seriously.

"Um...Jack? Should I be nervous?"

"No, everything is going to be fine."

Tekis simply turned to leave the room, assuming the rest would follow. Daniel looked to Sam and Teal'c and they both gave him reassuring gestures. With a shrug Daniel followed Jack out into the hall.

Tekis had mentioned that there were others here, but during their journey there was no evidence of anyone else. Tekis turned to an apparently blank wall and pressed his hand against it. An opening in the wall snapped into place beneath his touch.

Jack peered inside the room and his blood automatically chilled. Why alien labs always had to be so creepy and ominous was beyond him. The techno-clutter on the walls didn't disturb him nearly as much as the clear lounge chair like structure, with its obvious wrist and ankle restraints, that dominated the center of the room.

Actually it reminded him of all that 'modern-minimalistic-artdeco' furniture that at first glanced looked like it would be really uncomfortable, and upon sitting on it you discovered that it was less ergonomic than you could have ever imagined. Look, but don't touch was the unspoken message radiating from it.

When Daniel stepped into the room he instantly tried to back out again. He bumped into Teal'c who gently suggested that he move forward. Daniel only managed a few steps before his knees gave out on him. Teal'c was quick enough to catch him by the upper arms and keep him standing.

"Oh my God..." Daniel whispered in horror. "You...you're going to execute me?"

"No, Da..."

"I haven't even had a trial!"

Convinced he was about to be murdered for a crime he'd been cleared of long ago Daniel began shaking. Teal'c was now full supporting Daniel as his panic overwhelmed him. It twisted his friend's stomachs to see Daniel in the throws of a death row dance. Jack stepped up and put his hand on the side of Daniel's face in a desperate attempt to bring him into the present.

"Daniel," Jack said firmly "we're trying to help you."

Daniel was not calmed by either Jack's words nor his touch. His blue eyes rolled back to white and he began dry heaving against his fear. Jack took a step back and looked to Sam. Her face was expressionless, but tears tracked down her face. Tekis cleared his throat to draw attention back to himself.

"Shall we delay further, General?"

"No, let's just get this over with."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Daniel had laid down next to Sam to get some rest after a long day of walking and the next thing he knew he was tightly strapped to a cold unforgiving surface. His eyes were open, but he couldn't focus on anything. He pulled on the snakes that held his wrists captive without much success.

"What did I do this time?" Daniel muttered half coherently.

There were people around him, he could sense them. His mind struggled to make sense of his surroundings. His first thoughts were that he was in the infirmary. It would not be the first time he had woken there in leather restraints.

However his half reclined position and the painful way they had tethered him made him doubt that he was among medical professionals. There was a nervous energy in the air that turned his stomach. He tried to sit up, but a cold hand held him down.

"This had better work." A gruff voice grumbled.

Daniel turned his head and finally caught sight of the others in the room. Jack was standing directly at his side. He looked angry, in fact he looked down right murderous. Sam and Teal'c were standing a bit further back. He couldn't read Teal'c's expression, but Sam looked uncharacteristically anxious.

"Jack? What's going on?"

_"He can't hear you."_ A calm voice echoed in Daniel's mind._ "Nor can he help you. Only I can. Now, please, relax."_

"I don't understa..."

Daniel tensed as an invasive pressure caged his heart. He looked to Jack and his friend smiled reassuringly despite the worried look in his tired eyes. The half hearted smile helped put Daniel at ease, but as soon as he relaxed an odd sensation filled his chest. When he fought it the discomfort blazed into a visceral pain.

He grit his teeth and growled, he didn't want to cry out and upset Jack any further than he already was. He remained as quiet as he could as the sourceless pain increased in intensity. Daniel tried breathing through it, knowing that if Jack was near by and somewhat calm, then everything must be okay.

Daniel decided that he must be injured, they were trying to help him. However, every time he tried to let go and allow his friends to do whatever they were doing a terrifying fear crept into his mind. It was like nothing he'd ever experienced, like falling into an abyss, and he did everything in his power to stop it.

_"Stop fighting me!"_ The voice from before ordered.

"Jack! What are they doing to me?!"

_"Pay attention, Daniel!"_

Daniel looked up through a red haze of pain. A stranger with short blonde hair and pale, watery blue eyes was looking down on him. His facial expression was one of compassion, but the tone in the unfamiliar voice had been one of irritated frustration.

Daniel realized that the pressure on his heart was this man's hand on his chest. Even though he wasn't visibly pushing down it felt like he had his fingers wrapped tightly around the rapidly beating organ.

"Who are you?"

_"That is not important. I need you to relax." _

"Maybe if I knew who yo..."

Daniel stopped as Tekis increased the phantom grip on his heart. Struggling for breath Daniel strained against whatever was pinning his wrists and ankles down. He automatically jerked his face away when someone touched his cheek. Turing in that direction he found Jack just staring at him.

"Jack, help me!"

_"Don't bother with him, you only think you're speaking to him. As long as I am in contact with you I control everything. Asking for help is useless, only I can hear you. The quicker you understand that the quicker I can release you. I honestly don't want to hurt you anymore than I have to."_

"Then let me go!"

_"You must do something for me first."_ Tekis announced._ "When I push down on your chest I need you to relax and not fight against me. If you resist the pain will return far greater than before."_

"Wait, I..."

Tekis pressed on Daniel's heart crushingly. It felt as though his captor's hand was actually sinking into his flesh. Since Jack was right at his side Daniel decided that the strange man must be trying to help him some how. He swallowed convulsively and attempted to relax.

Tendrils of hot liquid suddenly leaked into his chest and began spreading up his throat. The sensation panicked Daniel and he battled against it mentally and physically. Meeting resistance the liquid turned to acid in Daniel's imagination.

Daniel finally cried out against the nightmarish torture. He strained to free himself and when that didn't work he threw his head back against the hard glass chair. Tekis pushed harder, but he backed off as Daniel's heart came close to failure.

"Daniel!" Jack's voice was strained with helpless fear.

"He is fine." Tekis assured. "I told you this would be painful."

"Jack!" Daniel cried desperately. "Help me! Please, Jack, he's killing me!"

_"No, you're far too important to simply kill."_

"How much longer?" Jack snarled.

"It will take sometime."

_"Less if you cooperate with me."_ Tekis informed Daniel silently.

"Why should I?!"

Daniel convulsed as a buried memory suddenly erupted in his mind. Tekis was still over him, but he wasn't pretending to be doing him any favours. He forced a silver liquid down his throat, but Daniel never actually swallowed it. Instead the millions of tiny machines seeped directly into his system. Tekis had his hand on his chest, ordering him to relax as he repetitively pushed against him. Every time he did Daniel's every sense was assaulted by a wave of mind twisting pain.

It took the Nanites an agonizing hour to rip into his memory, but when they did everything in his conscious mind was laid bare to be picked over. Tekis hadn't been very interested in memories of events, it was pure knowledge that he was seeking. He found it, and there was nothing Daniel could do to keep him from taking it.

Daniel snapped out of the memory. The only thing that seemed to have changed was the fact that now Jack was with him, watching him anxiously. The burning pain in the back of his throat and the way Jack held his restrained hand told Daniel that he had been screaming.

"I'm sorry, Daniel..." Jack squeezed Daniel's hand.

_"I didn't have to let you live...but I'm not one to take lives."_

"I remember you now." Daniel hissed angrily.

_"That's because I want you to. Now, must we go through all of that again, or are you going to be more willing this time?"_

"What more can I give you?!" Daniel growled. "You stole everything I know."

_"Not everything, in fact far from it." _

"Jack! Sam! Teal'c!" Daniel cried desperately. "Someone please kill this..."

_"For someone so smart, you're not very bright. You are not speaking to them, and they brought you to me of their own free will. They are not going to save you." _

Daniel fought madly against his bindings once again. Jack reached out and gently ran his fingers through Daniel's sweat drenched hair. Daniel glared at him accusingly, but Jack just forced a sad smile.

"It's alright, Daniel." Jack whispered. "It will be over soon."

_"He's more right than he knows."_ Tekis's voice chuckled in Daniel's mind.

"Damn it, Jack!" Daniel roared silently. "How could you possibly think this is helping?!"

"Sir," Sam put her hand on Jack's shoulder "can I talk to you...alone?"

"That a girl, Sam. Talk some sense into him."

"Carter," Jack shrugged her hand off "we don't have any choice."

Sam looked down on Daniel. Since she clearly couldn't hear him he tried to silently implore for help, knowing that she was better at reading facial expressions than Jack. However the moment he tried a searing pain raced down his spine. The suddenly increase in sensation pushed him back over his threshold. Arching his back Daniel screamed.

"I am sorry, General." Tekis said insincerely. "However, it does mean that it's working."

_"Just not well enough."_ Tekis growled to Daniel.

"It had better be," Jack hissed "or I will personally see to it that you suffer through worse."

_"Your friends are very loyal."_ Tekis mused to Daniel._ "I wonder if you would be more willing to give me what I want if they were the ones writhing in agony?"_

"I don't even know what you want!"

_"I want in your mind."_

"You're already here!" Daniel panted.

_"No, I want in the place where you keep the Ancient Knowledge."_ Tekis explained._ "I have placed Nanites in your system, they are connecting us. However I can only get in if you let me."_

Despite his growing fever Daniel's blood crystallized into ice. He suddenly understood the tugging he felt in his mind. It was the Nanites trying to pry open places that even he couldn't access. Tekis implored him to relax again and pushed down on his chest forcibly bringing the breathtaking stabbing pain with it.

Fearing that this was going to quickly develop into more than he could take Daniel closed his eyes and sought escape. He didn't fear Tekis gaining the Ancient Knowledge, it was more than anyone could consciously hold. Daniel knew that if that door was opened in his mind it would simply kill him, maybe even kill them both.

Daniel found the escape he was looking for. Free to move once again he stretched like a cat napping in a sunbeam. He opened his eyes and was greeted by the pleasant sight of a Japanese style home. Before him lay the sand filled ring that he had first learned about the Acendeds in.

He had expected to see the Zen like room. He was however surprised to find that Tekis had joined him. The blonde alien looked more annoyed than anything else.

"What happened?" Tekis demanded.

"What do you think happened?" Daniel smiled. "Please, take your shoes off."

"My...shoes?"

"Yes. Let's talk about this like civilized men."

Daniel wasn't wearing shoes to begin with. He was dressed in the light cream sweater and khakis that he had become fond of during his time as an Ascended. Stepping into the ring he walked out into the middle and sat cross-legged in the cool, comfortable sand.

"Are you going to join me?" Daniel asked politely.

Tekis looked furious, however he calmed himself. He flashed Daniel a tight smile and bent down to remove his shoes and the silky black socks he wore. Gingerly stepping into the sand he settled himself in front of Daniel, crossing his legs as well.

"What's your name?"

"Tekis."

"Hello, Tekis." Daniel greeted. "I take it that you are not human."

"Correct."

"And you want the Ancient Knowledge?"

"Correct."

"Are you willing to work for it?"

"What?"

"I only know one way to get the Ancient Knowledge and that's to Ascend." Daniel explained. "Trust me, it's not easy. Nor is it all that it's cracked up to be."

"It is already in your mind." Tekis hissed. "My Nanites must simply be allowed to get to it and transmit it to me."

"That will never work. It is far too vast for any machine to cope with. You will simply kill us both."

"You don't understand my power."

"If you were powerful enough to deal with the Knowledge then you would already have access to it." Daniel replied with a sigh. "You said you didn't want to hurt me anymore than you had to."

"I still do not wish to."

"Then let me go."

"No."

"Why are you doing this?"

"That is not your concern! I must have that Knowledge." Tekis insisted. "I will do anything to get it."

"You can torture me until the end of Time. It won't help either of us."

"Your strength is admirable, and I can see why your friends are so desperate to get you back." Tekis smiled. "If you would just let me copy the information you carry I will gladly restore you to them."

"Even if I could give it to you, which incidentally I can't, I never would." Daniel said firmly. "It is not meant for humans...or I guess in your case 'mortals'."

"You assume too much, Dr. Jackson." Tekis said loftily. "I am no mortal."

"You're not a 'god' either."

"Not yet."

"Oh great..." Daniel rolled his eyes "you're one of 'those'."

"Those?"

"Jack would use the term 'Wackjob'."

"Actually he called me a 'Cheezemo'."

"That sounds like him." Daniel chuckled. "In either case you can't become a god. End of story."

"What did I tell you about assuming?" Tekis asked. "I have been collecting knowledge for thousands of years, from hundreds of various races. They all have one common mistake in their thinking."

"And what would that be?"

"The idea that 'God' is a creator."

"Isn't that the definition?"

"No. Far from it. God is simply all knowing."

"You think that if you know everything you'll be a god?"

"Not a god, the God."

"You are a total Wackjob." Daniel sighed.

"And you are close minded!" Tekis snapped. "Think about it: every complicated and powerful thing in the Universe is made up of smaller, less powerful elements. You yourself are mostly Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen. And yet you hold the illusion that you are an important, free thinking, unique being. I will soon be composed not simply of elements, but of all the Knowledge of all the Ages. God is our future, not our beginning. I am that future!"

"Wow." Daniel said in stunned amazement. "I have heard some seriously megalomaniac speeches in my time...but that...that is Oscar worthy."

"You insult me? You can not possibly even begin to fathom me! You are simply human."

"And yet...I'm the one who has the missing piece you need."

"And you will give it to me. You say I can torture you till the end of Time? You have no idea how true that is. With the technology at my disposal and knowledge I already have I can keep you alive for millions of years. For every second you defy me your friends will suffer in agony for a hundred years!"

Tekis was breathless with rage. His impassioned speech had left his pale complexion flushed and beaded with sweat. After a moment of stony silence Daniel fixed his ice blue eyes on Tekis.

"Listen to me: _**Nothing**_ will ever make me give you even a glimpse of the Ancient Knowledge. It has been locked in my mind by beings far more powerful than you will ever be. I do not want to use lethal force to protect myself and what I know, but I will. If you do not let me go, if you do not remove your Nanites, I will kill us both."

"You are in no position to be making such threats!" Tekis snarled.

"I think you will find that I am."

Daniel ignored the soaring spike in pain as Tekis called out to his Nanites for help. He closed his eyes again and took a deep soothing breath. The Nanites were still assaulting him, but with effort he could control the pain..for now.

He suspected that given enough time they would break through. However he figured it would take more time than he had left in his life so he was not worried. Tekis may have all the technology in the Universe, but it would do him no good if he could not reach it.

Slowly opening his eyes Daniel looked around his former home on Abydos. He was more comfortable here, the constant needling of the Nanites wasn't as sharp anymore.

Tekis looked around at the new scenery in shock. He weld his colourless eyes shut for a minute, he looked like he was concentrating on escape. Daniel put an equal amount of concentration into keeping him captive. When Tekis opened his eyes again he turned a spiteful glare on Daniel. A slight smile twitched the corner of Daniel's lips. Tekis bared his teeth in rage.

"What is going on?!"

"You wanted into my mind...now you're stuck here."

"You can't keep me here forever!"

"Oh yes I can. I've had practice."

"What?"

"You've been in my memories and you don't know?"

"I...I was only looking for knowlage, not memories."

"Hmmm. For someone so smart...you're not very bright."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

Laying on a padded floor Daniel stared vacantly at the far wall. No one believed him, worse yet they had abandoned him. He had heard Machello's voice, it hadn't been a hallucination, nor was the sight of that _thing_ burrowing into Teal'c's skin. He had begged for Jack to come, to listen to him, but for some reason he never came. 

Of course none of that mattered now, it had been years ago. The damage was done. He hadn't even been allowed to go to Teal'c's funeral. Daniel started clenching his fists hard enough to make his fingernails bite into his palms. The pain it caused gave him something to do other than obsess about the solitary confinement he'd been condemned to.

The tardive dyskinesia cause by the overdosing of antipsychotic drugs kept him in some form of constant, pointless motion at all times. Today's dyskinetic frenzy was a rapid blinking that he had no control over. From Daniel's point of view it was like someone had set up a strobe light in the tiny room. 

He abandoned his attempts to cut semi circles in his palms to reach up and rub his eyes. He pressed the heels of his palms against his face in an attempt to stop the blinking. While blinded his hearing seemed to suddenly get sharper.

Footsteps.

Footsteps. They were coming again. 

Daniel looked around desperately, but nothing had changed. There was no escape. Despite this fact Daniel scrambled to his bare feet and backed himself into the protection of the corner. He was never going to get better if they didn't stop sticking him with needles of sedative and drugs. 

This time he decided that he would fight. He would kill if he had to. They had pushed him to the point where he was willing to do anything to get out of this white walled prison. He realized that his outbursts when they came to medicate him were part of what made them continue to believe that he was out of his mind. 

Daniel didn't care anymore. If anything when he put up a fight it meant that the aides and doctors stayed with him longer and he didn't have to be so alone. Both fearful and excited to have someone stepping into his cell Daniel's heart almost failed when Jack appeared. 

"Jack!" Daniel cried in relief. "Jack, you have no idea how happy I am to see you...to see anyone without a syringe in their hand for that matter. At least I assume you don't have one..."

When Jack said nothing Daniel laughed nervously. He knew he must look crazy, he was rubbing compulsively at his forearms. The only way he could stop the rubbing was to hug himself, which he felt probably didn't look any better. 

"You...you have to get me out of here." Daniel forced a smile. "I know, I know I still seem crazy, but if you were locked in this box pumped full of drugs...you'd be crazy too. Please...please, Jack, I want to go home. I can't take this isolation anymore."

Jack's only response was a mirthless smile. A renewed hopelessness washed over Daniel. Bowing his head in defeat he closed his eyes as hot tears slipped from them. He felt Jack stepping closer but didn't look up until he felt him pulling at the edge of his shirt.

Daniel stared at Jack in confusion, but he was acting as though everything was normal. He gasped at the surprisingly icy contact of Jack's hand against his stomach. Daniel tried to back away, but he was already trapped in the corner. Jack smiled reassuringly and slid his hand up under Daniel's shirt until it rested on his heart.

"Ja...Jack?" Daniel asked anxiously. "What are you doing?"

"You want to go home, don't you?" He asked coldly.

"More than anything."

"Before I can allow that I have to know that you trust me."

"Jack...you know I trust you."

"Then relax."

Daniel looked around the featureless white room that was feeding his insanity and nodded. He leaned his head back against the soft wall and surrendered to the unusual treatment. He hated to admit how good it felt to have someone touching him for reasons other than jabbing him with a needle.

The cool touch on his chest slowly warmed and then began to spread. Daniel breathed deeply, welcoming the alien sensation. At this point he'd rather feel pain than nothing at all. He had an understanding of the soul striping effects of solitary confinement that could only come from experience.

"Daniel?"

"Yes?"

"I need you to think of nothing."

"I'll try."

A peace that Daniel had never known slowly numbed his thinking. However the euphoria was shattered when he felt something sinking into his flesh. Like a razor cut there was no pain, but there was panic. Snapping his eyes open Daniel found himself staring into cold, colourless eyes. 

Roaring in pure rage Daniel grabbed Tekis's wrist and yanked him off his chest. Tekis tried to pull away but Daniel held him captive and back handed him viscously. The white walls and years of false memories evaporated, leaving them once again in the sands of Abydos.

Tekis tried to step away, but Daniel wasn't letting him go anywhere. He twisted Tekis's wrist and forced him to his knees in the hot sand. Knocking him on his back Daniel straddled him and pinned both his wrists above his head with one hand. Tekis didn't seem alarmed, he didn't even struggle to free himself.

"Daniel," Tekis sighed calmly "we were so close."

"Well then it's a good thing we're not playing with horseshoes and hand grenades."

"Wha..."

Tekis gasped violently as Daniel plunged his hand into his chest and wrapped his fingers around his heart. Tekis fought for freedom which only caused pain to lance through him. Unmoved by Tekis's heart felt cry Daniel narrowed his eyes and concentrated harder on breaking open Tekis's mind the way his own had. Tekis screamed as he put his hands on Daniel's shoulders and uselessly tried to push him off.

"What are you doing?!"

"I think it's time we took a look into your past."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

"Dr. Tekis?"

"What do you want?"

"The...uh...the Board is...um...they're waiting for you."

"Let them wait, I have better thing to worry about than their money grubbing."

"Sir..."

Tekis turned from his work and glared at the young intern. She bowed her head respectfully and backed out of his lab. Tekis pushed himself away from the holographic computer screen. The moment that the computer sensed that he was no longer near it shut down and locked.

He walked the dark metal halls of the Nantic Agency briskly despite his earlier words about letting the Board wait. Since he worked in the catacombs beneath the main building he headed to the elevators. When the doors slid open there were three people already inside.

"Out."

The three occupants of the elevator complied without question, in fact they looked relived that he wanted the small space to himself. Inside he placed his hand against the wall reader. Once the elevator recognized him it zipped up to the top floor without making any stops along the way.

He looked around the lobby of the Board Room with distain. He hated the way they foolishly squandered the Agency's money on luxury for themselves. The beauty of the room was lost on him. The ultraglass windows that rose fifteen feet from floor to ceiling looked over the rest of the city. Lording over it, the same way the Board lorded over him.

A shapely woman in a dark blue skintight dress approached him and bowed. Tekis rolled his eyes at the traditional greeting. She wordlessly ushered him into the Board Room even though he knew the way himself. There were a dozen men seated around the immense mahogany table.

A dozen visionless, money hungry, dullards as far as Tekis was concerned. The woman in the blue dress offered him a chair at the head of the table, but he made it clear that he was going to stand. At the other end of the table was a rapidly graying man in a well cut suit.

"Ah, Dr. Tekis," the older man greeted warmly "so glad we could pull you away from the dungeon for while."

"Perhaps next time you could come to me, Jiles." Tekis smiled at the way the man paled.

"I...uh...I don't think that would be proper."

"I swear I won't let you see us torturing anyone."

"It's not that."

"Don't lie to me." Tekis snarled. "It's out of sight, out of mind for you people. You want results, and you don't care how we get it, but you don't want to know."

"We know exactly what it is you do, Dr. Tekis." Jiles replied icily. "Which is precisely why you are here before us now."

"If you know what I'm doing then you'll know that I'm close."

"Not close enough I'm afraid. We're being forced to close down your experiments."

"What?!" Tekis roared. "You can't do that."

"Dr. Tekis the simple facts are that your project is costing lives and giving us very little in return."

"Costing lives?" Tekis repeated incredulously. "Every single one of my subjects is on Death Row. They are the lowest of the depraved, who cares what happens to them? What's really going on here?!"

"Do you ever watch the news, Dr. Tekis?"

"I don't have time for other people's problems."

"Well, they are your problem now. Due to a recent incident the Death Penalty has been revoked. The High Council has decided that it is a barbaric practice and too risky."

"Risky?" Tekis furrowed his brow. "I don't understand."

"Your last subject...was innocent."

"Innocent?"

"Yes, new evidence cleared his name yesterday. Of course it is too little, too late for him. I read in your report that his death was particularly violent."

Tekis remained silent for moment, carefully plotting out what he was going to say next. He had had far more success with the last subject than any of the others. He hadn't understood why, until now. He was so close to getting this right, now he had missing piece.

"I need one more." Tekis said at a whisper. "Just one more."

"I'm sorry, that is impossible. You will have to conduct the rest of your tests on animals."

"I will never get the results we are looking for with animals. Their minds are too simple. Gentlemen, I don't think you understand how close I am to changing this society forever."

"Dr. Te..."

"Imagine, imagine what we could accomplish if could pool and share our knowledge. We would evolve by leaps and bounds. Doctors who understood every nuance of medicine, engineers that know the law of physics so well that they could bend them to their will. We lose so much trying to teach one another through mere words. This way we could teach anything, we could even teach our criminals compassion."

"What do you know of compassion?"

"I need one more man. I promise you results or I will give up this field forever. I know what's been going wrong. Please."

Jiles sighed heavily and closed his eyes. When he opened them again he looked to the other members of the Board. Each one gave a slight nod of approval. This was the Agency's greatest project and if it failed the Agency itself might fail as well.

"Fine, I will talk to Justice..."

"No." Tekis interrupted. "No, I can't use a criminal. I need another innocent."

"What?"

"These criminals, these murderers, their minds don't work the way they should. They are so hardened, so emotionless, that they fight back too successfully. They are resigned to death and they do not fear it. The innocent that I worked on was so terrified that I was better able to get into his mind."

"Dr. Tekis no one would volunteer for such a risky experiment. Even the subjects that survive your treatment have always been past the brink of insanity before execution."

"Aren't you listening?!" Tekis snarled. "I'm not looking for a volunteer. There are thousands of homeless out there, no one will miss just one."

Jiles paled once more, but the Board members all still looked to be in agreement. Tekis held his breath as he waited for the old coot to make his decision. He knew he could do it, but only if they let him.

"Alright, Dr. Tekis. One more."

It took the Agency less than twenty-four hours to bring Tekis's his prize. They acted quickly because they all knew that discovery would mean the end of them all. Since only the Board and Tekis truly knew about the final illegal experiment it had to be done without the usual safety precautions to keep as few people involved as possiable.

It was nearing midnight and Tekis was alone in the lab. Despite all of their brave words not a single member of the Board, not even Jiles himself, wanted to be witness. Tekis didn't care, in fact it was better this way. He carefully ran over the final programming check on the Nanites and decided that everything was going to work perfectly this time.

Tekis walked over to the holding room to see his subject for the first time. He had given them some requirements. The subject had to be in good physical and mental condition, young, preferably male. He knew it wouldn't be easy to find an able bodied person that no one would miss. However when he opened the door he was pleasantly surprised by the subject they had found.

Laying on the cold floor was a young male, striped to the waist and shivering. When he caught sight of Tekis he scrambled to his feet and backed into the corner. He tried to speak, but the electronic collar he wore kept him silent. He was thin, but well muscled, he bore no gang tattoos, but plenty of scars from his hard life on the street.

"Come with me." Tekis instructed. This was the first time he'd dealt with a subject this way. Usually they were already restrained in the chair in the next room.

The young man shook his head and pressed himself harder into the corner.

"If you do not come peacefully I will use force."

After looking Tekis over for a second a mirthless smile twitched the young man's lips and he shook his head again. Tekis sighed and then held his hand out. Tekis's subject dropped instantly to his knees. He screamed silently as the collar he wore sent a powerful pulse through his system.

"If you don't want me to do that again, you'll come peacefully."

Tears slipped from the man's dark eyes. He nodded and got back to his feet. Tekis strapped him down as though he was nothing more than an unthinking object. He was unmoved by the man's silent attempts to ask what was happening to him. In fact he did nothing to try and alleviate the man's fears.

When Tekis brought over the liquid Nanites his subject thrashed as well as he could. Tekis's jolted him with the collar again to keep him still. This was another procedure that Tekis had never preformed himself. He usually had an intern administer the Nanites.

As a consequence he didn't think to hold the young man's jaw shut until all of the Nanites had been absorbed. Tekis reared back as the man spat some of the Nanites in his face. He tried to claw them off, but it was too late, they were sinking into his skin.

Tekis dropped to his hands and knees and wailed in agony as the Nanites forced themselves into his system. On the table the man screamed as well, only in pantomime since his voice had been stolen. Tekis had never dared infect himself, and now Nanites with the same programming coursed through both men.

When the pain subsided Tekis was furious. Getting back to his feet he slammed his hand down on the young man's chest to activate the collar. Stricken with fear and pain he arched his back and cried out voicelessly.

It was in this moment that Dr. Tekis's experiment finally worked.

"You sick fu..."

Daniel's foul language was cut off as Tekis ripped himself away from him. Onhis knees back in the sands of Abydos Tekis panted heavily for breath. Daniel was standing over him looking down at him with an expression of disgust mixed with disbelief.

"You have no remorse..."

"None." Tekis grinned.

"You tortured and murdered an innocent man."

"Several." Tekis corrected as he got to his feet. "But it was all worth it in the end. Through those few lives I saved millions! Everything I predicted came true, new medicines, new technologies, we entered a new Golden Age."

"Until of course the Goa'uld came and took what they wanted and killed the rest. Somehow you escaped the slaughter. That's what happened, isn't it?"

"And they never even said 'thank you'." Tekis chuckled.

"You're insane." Daniel spat. "You've been living under a dead city for thousands of years just stealing knowledge...but you haven't even tried to put any of it to use."

"Don't worry, I will."

"What...once you're powerful enough that there's nothing that can stop you?"

"I like you." Tekis smiled. "You're smart. I've never met anyone who could control the Nanites in my system, they're special, made just for me. You have a power that I must have."

Daniel took a step back. Tekis was degrading into madness right in front of his eyes. Daniel had not exactly known what he was doing when he activated Tekis's memories. Tekis's absolute control had been put into question and it was having a deeply negative impact on him.

"Tekis," Daniel said carefully "let me go. There is too much in your mind already."

"No...never. I must know more."

"What's the point? You aren't using what you have."

Tekis lost what little of his calm exterior that he had left. He leapt at Daniel and knocked them both to the ground. Daniel went to push him off when Tekis called out to the Nanites to strike at him. This time there was no shielding himself from the wash of agony.

However it gave him a chance to see how it was done and he did the same to Tekis. As Tekis convulsed Daniel was able to throw him off, but unable to do much more. Tekis attempted to escalate the pain he was causing, but that only made Daniel do the same to him in return. Eventually Tekis stopped so that Daniel would. Once free they both got shakily to their feet.

"How dare you do that to me?!" Tekis roared.

"And yet you have some right to do it to me?!" Daniel snarled in return.

"Yes." Tekis hissed. "Because you are nothing compared to me, no one is!"

Tekis went for Daniel's throat but this time he was expecting the attack. He caught one of Tekis's wrists and twisted it around painfully. Tekis was forced around, but he used the advantage to kick Daniel back.

Daniel landed hard on a tile floor in a puddle of hot blood. He got up and looked around in shock at the change in scenery. The dimly lit middle-class home was unsettlingly familiar. He froze at the sight of the young woman laying on the once white floor, stabbed multiple times, the knife still in her chest. Despite the horrific wounds she was still gasping for breath.

"Emily..."

"You couldn't save her then," Tekis chuckled "you can't save her now."

Daniel ground his teeth together. He whiped around and tackled Tekis. Although knocked back by the blow Tekis managed to stay on his feet and fought back with the power of an angry lion. Throwing each other around the tastefully decorated home they both stumbled back and fell through a glass coffee table.

The glass that broke however belonged to a display case surrounding an Egyptian artifact. The setting had changed, but the battle continued. There savage fight rage through the New York Art Museum unnoticed by the other occupants of the memory. Tekis managed to get a hold of Daniel's wrist and snapped it. However, the instant he let go the injury healed, because in reality there was no injury at all.

The minor fact that they could not physical win this fight did nothing to temper it. Tekis didn't get the upper hand again until Daniel caught sight of his parents. They were minutes away from a death that he knew he couldn't prevent. He didn't want to witness the accident again, but he couldn't look away.

Taking advantage of the distraction Tekis plunged his hand into Daniel's chest to regain his hold on his heart. Without even looking away from his doomed family Daniel elbowed Tekis in the face hard enough to break his hold on him.

Falling backwards Tekis landed on the briefing room table at the SGC. Staring out the large window Daniel looked down as Janet stepped through the Gate for what he knew would be the last time. Growling in animal fury Tekis rushed him once again.

Instead of fighting back this time Daniel just stepped to the side. Tekis's momentum carried him through the glass window. Daniel cringed at the sound of Tekis landing hard on the concrete Gateroom floor twenty feet below. Under just about any other circumstances Tekis's would be dead, but Daniel knew that things were not going to be that simple.

He peered down into the Gateroom just as Tekis was getting up from his fall. Tekis shook the broken glass out of his hair and yanked a jagged piece out of his shoulder. When he looked up Daniel waved at him in a friendly manner. Flushing from the insult Tekis was momentarily paralyzed with rage.

"Tekis, this is pointless." Daniel called down. "You're never going to win."

"You will give me what I want, it is only a matter of time!" Tekis spat. "You can not defeat me!"

"I don't have to defeat you...I just have to keep you from defeating me."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

"Okay, they've been like that for an hour. What the hell is going on?"

"Actually, Sir, it's been about ten minutes."

"Whatever, it's freaking me out."

Sam looked at Daniel and Tekis, the pair seemingly frozen in time. Tekis still had his hand on Daniel's chest, the muscles in his thin arm flexed in rigor. They were staring at one another unblinkingly. The only improvement was the fact that Daniel wasn't screaming anymore.

"I do not believe that this man has Daniel Jackson's welfare in mind."

"I'm going to have to agree with you on that one, T."

"Something definitely seems to have gone wrong." Sam added her agreement. "Tekis never warned us that he may lose contact with us."

"So...which one should I shoot first?"

"Sir?"

"You're right, stupid question. I'll kill Tekis first."

"You can't just put Daniel down like an unwanted dog."

"It's either that or let him live out the rest of his life with the attention span of a goldfish."

Sam glared at Jack and he forced an innocent smile. He wasn't really going to shoot Daniel. She realized that this particular brand of humour was his way of dealing with stress, but she wasn't in the mood for it right now. She stepped up to the pair and tapped on the mulitcoloured buttons that controlled the energy field restraints that held Daniel down. The light blue glow around Daniel's wrists snapped off.

"How did you do that?"

"I memorized the code when Tekis first put it in."

"Remind me to get you a promotion when we get back." Jack smiled.

"Ohmygod..."

"What?"

"Tekis's fingertips are actually in Daniel's chest."

"In it?"

Sam pressed against Daniel's black shirt next to where Tekis was gripping him. She held up her hand and showed off the blood that now stained her. Jack stepped up and ripped open the shirt around Tekis's hand. With his palm flat over Daniel's heart Tekis's fingertips were curved like claws and had sunk into his flesh.

"Teal'c, I'll hold Daniel down, you get this slimy leech off him."

"Sir, I'm not sure it's safe to pull them apart."

"I'm open to suggestions, Carter."

When Sam couldn't come up with another course of action Jack signaled Teal'c to go ahead with the original one. Jack put his hands down on Daniel's shoulders. Teal'c walked around the chair to stand behind Tekis. However when he grabbed Tekis the self defense mechanism that Jack had already experienced lashed out at him.

The powerful current knocked Teal'c back, but he managed to remain standing. The pulse carried through Daniel and up into Jack. With an undignified yelp Jack released him, shaking out his hands to try and get rid of the unpleasant tingling.

Daniel reacted as well, but instead of trying to arch away he threw his hand up and latched down on Tekis's upper arm. Tekis's mysterious defense crackled again. Daniel's frame tensed causing his grip to increase until blood dripped down Tekis's pale skin.

"I think we made things worse." Jack lamented.

Teal'c shook off the residual effects of Tekis's attack and prepared to seize him again.

"Teal'c don't touch him," Jack ordered "you're just going to get zapped again."

"Something must be done, O'Neill." Teal'c growled. "Daniel is not breathing as he should."

Teal'c was right. Daniel was taking increasingly shallow breath that were quickly degrading into hyperventilating. Tekis was starting to show signs of respiratory distress as well. Jack looked to Sam for any suggestions, she only had one. Nodding in agreement Jack pulled out his sidearm.

"Out of the way, Teal'c."

Jack aimed directly between Tekis's unfocused eyes and pulled the trigger. The impotent click that followed echoed off the walls of the metal room. Jack ripped open the cartridge and found that the gun had plenty of rounds. He tried again with no effect.

"He must have learned about our weapons from us, Sir. It makes sense that he would have disarmed them."

"Teal'c."

Jack didn't have to even ask, Teal'c was already retrieving his staff weapon from where he had leaned it against the wall. Aiming the inaccurate weapon careful so as not to hit Daniel Teal'c opened the weapon.

"It will not fire."

"Then hit him with it!"

Teal'c switched his grip and held the staff like a baseball bat. He swung the weapon with amazing force. There was a sicken sound of cracking bone as Teal'c caught Tekis under the jaw with a powerful blow. Tekis fell back, breaking his hold on Daniel. However Daniel kept a firm hold of his arm for a few extra seconds.

Daniel released Tekis as he slipped to the floor. He gasped violently and sat bolt upright like someone just waking from a nightmare. He looked around frantically for a second before swinging his legs off the clear chair.

"Daniel, are you alright?" Sam reached out to help him to his feet, but he pushed her aside and bolted for the door.

"Daniel!" Jack lashed out and grabbed a handful of the back of Daniel's shirt.

Without hesitation Daniel whipped around and punched Jack in the face hard enough to knock him to the floor. Having earned his freedom he sprinted for the door. Sam was quick to follow however she screeched to a halt when the door Daniel had just used turned back into a solid wall.

Sam tried to figure out the mechanism, but there didn't even seem to be a place to activate it. She slammed her palm against it in frustration, but the door didn't care. Turning around she found everyone else on the floor.

Teal'c had was recovering from another shock that had run up the staff weapon. Tekis was only semi conscious, blood oozing from the sides of his mouth. Jack was struggling to sit up, holding both hands over his face.

Sam knelt down and helped Jack into a seated position. He muttered a couple of curses under his breath. He brought his hands away from his face and stared down at the copious amount of blood on them. Sam pulled out a bandana for him to try and stop the bleeding running from his nose.

"Carter...what hit me?"

"Um...that was Daniel, Sir."

"No." Jack shook his head gingerly. "No way. It had to be something else."

"Something else? Like what?"

"I don't know, but I'm fairly certain it had a license plate."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

"Carter, get us out of here."

"I'm trying, Sir."

Sam had found a hidden access panel, however she still didn't understand the basic mechanism behind the door. Jack was pacing back and forth behind her which really wasn't helping. His nose had stopped bleeding. Now a deep purple bruising was forming across the bridge and spreading out under his eyes. Sam was certain it was broken, but he was uninterested in what little medical help she could offer him.

"Teal'c, is that slime ball dead?"

"He is not."

"Well, keep a sharp eye on him. If he wakes up, hit him again."

"That might not be a good idea, Sir." Sam protested.

"You don't think you can open this door without him?"

"Maybe not." Sam admitted. "Plus...that might not be Tekis."

"Please don't tell me that you're suggesting it could be Daniel." Jack sighed.

"It could be. We have no idea what was happening when they were locked together. It would explain why 'Daniel' hit you and how he knew how to work the door."

"Alright, Teal'c, stand down for now."

Teal'c looked down on the unconscious man in obvious disgust. He kept his staff weapon at the ready just in case. When he groaned Sam abandoned the door and knelt down next to him. With his eyes closed he opened and closed his jaw experimentally.

"Easy, that might be broken." Sam said softly.

Snapping open his colourless eyes he stared up at Sam. He wasn't Daniel, that much she was now sure of, but by the time she realized it it was too late. Tekis lashed out and grabbed her wrist. Teal'c swung his staff weapon to knock him back out, however he used the newly installed Asgaurd beam to remove himself and Sam from the room.

To Sam the scenery seemed to suddenly jump. Her situation has as well. Tekis was behind her. With one hand he was pinning her wrist high behind her back, the other he had wrapped around her throat. They were in a larger room now that held a consol of some description on the far wall. About six feet away Daniel had his back to them and was frantically working on some kind of holographic computer.

Sam instantly went to elbow Tekis in the face with her free arm. She was rewarded by a paralyzing surge. She couldn't help the surprised gasp that escaped her lips. The noise of distress caused Daniel to pause briefly, but without turning around he continued his work.

"Step back!" Tekis commanded. "I will kill her."

Daniel continued as if he hadn't heard Tekis. Sam heard Tekis growl in frustration just before the breathtaking pain returned. She ground her teeth together, determined not to cry out and distract Daniel from what he was doing. However there was nothing she could do to hide the trouble she was having breathing.

"You'll do nothing to save her?"

Pausing in his work again Daniel raised his left hand and shook his wrist before returning his full attention back to the complicated glowing screen. Sam's mind was slowed by the increasing strain being placed on her body. The signal hadn't meant anything to her.

"Stop!" Tekis cried. "I will kill her!"

Tekis increased his grip until it felt like he was piercing through her chest with an unseen blade. When Sam was finally forced into low moan Daniel repeated his motion. This time it clicked in her mind. Sam reached up and grabbed Tekis's left wrist, which was around her throat. Close to passing out she clamped down with all her strength.

Tekis wore some sort of metal bracelet on that wrist and when it snapped it also broke the agonizing spell she was under. Sam twisted herself free and whipped around to break his nose the same way Daniel had done to Jack. Tekis's face lit up with shock, but the Nanites in his system increased his reaction speed and he was able to catch Sam's fist.

However he was unable to keep her from bringing her knee up into his stomach with enough force to knock his breath away. Doubled over Tekis barreled forward and caught Sam around the waist. Daniel still has his full attention locked on the computer when the fighting pair ran into him.

The momentum behind Tekis's attack sent all three of them to the floor in a tangled heap. Pinned to the floor Sam struggled to push Tekis's off. Not above fighting dirty she took the opportunity to bite into the exposed flesh of his arm. Tekis wailed in pain and grabbed a handful of her hair to pull her off.

Sam reached up and held onto Tekis to keep him from breaking her neck. He was sitting on her stomach pulling her head back to the limits of her flexibility. Sam abandoned her grip and went for his throat to force him to let go of her hair. It worked, but he quickly had his powerful hands wrapped around her wrists, threatening to break them.

"Don't hurt her!" Daniel cried desperately.

Tekis and Sam both paused and looked over at the forgotten third occupant of the room. Daniel was sitting on the floor, pressed up against the wall, tears streaking down his face. Even in her dire situation Sam found his expression heartbreaking. It was the look of a child witnessing an act of violence that he couldn't possibly understand.

The distraction of Daniel proved to be a costly one. Tekis let go and back handed Sam hard enough to bring her to the edge of blacking out. He got up and went for Daniel. Trembling in fear Daniel was like a deer in headlights as Tekis approached.

He reached down and grabbed a hold of Daniel's torn shirt, hauled him to his feet, and pinned him against the wall. Sam was trying to get back to her feet, but her body was not cooperating.

"Still not in your right mind, are you?" Tekis chuckled. "Just needed a little distraction to lose that train of thought of yours."

"Dad!"

"Your race is a dangerous one, you taught me that. I let you return home so that no one would come looking for you. But this time, I think it would be safer if I just got rid of your planet. Soon I'll have the power to do so."

Daniel screamed for help once again as Tekis sunk his fingers into the gory marks he already wore on his chest. Sam had made it to her knees and shook her head to try and clear it. As Daniel cried out in pain she automatically drew her sidearm to help him.

Remembering that the weapon was useless Sam dropped it. She welded her eyes shut against a wave of nausea and staggered to her feet. Once standing she was supported by a secondary rush of adrenaline and could finally think clearly once more.

Tekis may have disarmed their guns, but there was one weapon that he hadn't seen the danger in since it was usually just a utility. Baring her teeth in an animal snarl Sam stepped up behind Tekis. In one swift motion she wrapped her arm around his throat, pulled him off Daniel, and sunk her field knife deep into his back.

With his lung punctured Tekis sputtered blood as his frame tensed. He reached up and tried to pull Sam's arm off this throat. He cried out breathlessly as she twisted the blade to open the wound further. Sam closed her eyes and put all her concentration into hanging on to him until the blood loss and collapsed lung brought him down.

She had been trained to take down an enemy this way, but it was the first time she had mercilessly held onto someone as they bled out. It was very different from sniping someone at a distance. It was far more intimate.

Tekis began to jerk as hypovolemic shock finally set in. Sam followed him to his knees, fearing to release him until she knew he was dead. The grip he had on her arm weakened. Eventually it turned to a desperate clinging as though they were friends and she was keeping him from dying alone.

A powerful pang of guilt washed over Sam. However it instantly evaporated as she opened her eyes and caught sight of Daniel. Pale and shaking he had his hand pressed hard against his heart. He looked up at her with a look of shocked confusion etched into his features.

"Emily?" Daniel asked uncertainly.

In Sam arms Tekis finally went limp. She pulled the knife out and pushed him off of her. She sat back and for a moment she just closed her eyes and caught her breath. She was exhausted, but worse was the fact that she knew it wasn't over. Daniel wasn't any better than when they'd first come here.

When Sam finally found the energy to open her eyes Daniel was gone. She looked around and spotted him back at the computer. Only this time he was just staring at it blankly. She pushed herself up on her feet and walked over to him. He glanced at her and then went back to the floating screen.

"Daniel?"

"Hey, Sam."

"What are you doing?"

"I don't know." Daniel growled in frustration. "I don't remember...it was important."

"Daniel, we can't stay here. We have to help the General and Teal'c."

"No." Daniel shook his head. "No, this is important, I know it is. I just don't know why. I have to remember."

"I don't think you can. I'm sorry."

Daniel turned to her and knit his brow. He reached out hesitantly and touched the trail of blood running from the corner of her mouth. He jerked in surprise at the sight of his own hand which was also covered in the bright red fluid.

"Sam...your bleeding."

"I know." Sam forced a smile. "It's nothing to worry about. Come on, we have to go."

"Okay." Daniel nodded and then looked over her shoulder. "Who are you?"

Sam froze at the sudden feeling of hot breath against the back of her neck. The Nanites in Tekis's system, the ones that had kept him alive for thousands of years had reversed the damage Sam had caused.

Tekis shoved Sam out of his way and with a cry of rage he sprang at Daniel. Surprised by the sudden attack Daniel back up into the computer console. His palm pressed down on a contact pad and the previously static screen began to race with a running program.

Tekis had his hands on Daniel, but his eyes suddenly went wide with fear. He tried to back away, but collapsed to his knees. Sam had forced the blade into his back again. However that didn't appear to be the worst of his problems.

He pitched forward and began coughing up a combination of red blood and metallic silver. Sam jumped back to avoid the Nanites spilling out onto the floor. She reached out and pulled Daniel away as well. Tekis crashed to the floor as the last of the Nanites left his body and his colourless eyes glazed over. Sam was about to check to see if he was truly dead when Daniel fell to his knees.

"Daniel!"

"Carter!" Jack's voice rang out in the hall.

"Sir?! In here!"

Sam put her hand between Daniel's shoulder blades as he began dry heaving violently. Jack and Teal'c rushed into the room just as Daniel began spiting liquid silver onto the floor. The silver pooled on the floor and Daniel began to pass out. Jack knelt down next to him and helped him lay back. He looked to Sam in concern.

"I think this is actually a good thing, Sir."

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Sam assured. "How did you guys get out?"

"All of the doors suddenly opened." Jack looked around at the carnage. "What the hell happened in here?"

"I think Daniel reprogrammed the Nanites. Possibly the rest of this place as well." Sam replied. "I don't know ho..."

Sam stopped as Daniel managed to surface back into consciousness. He looked up at Jack and smiled in recognition. Switching his attention to Sam he chuckled before closing his eyes again. Sam looked down on him in concern.

"Daniel?"

"I told you it was important..."


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

Daniel woke without opening his eyes. He spent a moment trying to piece together the shattered places in his memory. He had no idea how much time had passed since he had first visited Tekis's planet. In some ways it felt like had only been hours, in others it seemed like years.

"Teal'c I have never understood this game."

"It is not complicated, O'Neill."

"I didn't say it was complicated, I just said I don't understand it."

Opening his eyes Daniel looked over towards the familiar voices. Teal'c and Jack had set up a game of Oware using the next bed over as a table. Daniel smiled, he had showed Teal'c the African strategy game a few years ago and he had taken to it immediately. As for Jack he was no better at it than he was at chess.

Daniel looked around the infirmary, just glad to be back in a familiar setting that wasn't going to change at any minute. He had a throbbing headache, but it was easy enough to ignore. Teal'c noticed that Daniel was awake and alerted Jack.

"Good morning, Sunshine."

Daniel just gave a weary smile in response. Teal'c gave Daniel a shallow bow before collecting up the Oware game and left. Jack swiveled his chair around to face Daniel and watched him expectantly. The bridge of Jack's nose was a frightening shade of purple that winged out under his eyes.

"Did...um...did I do that?"

"That's what they tell me." Jack shrugged.

"Sorry about that. I was afraid that if I stopped to explain what I was doing that...well..."

"You'd forget?"

"Exactly."

"Where'd you learn to throw a punch like that anyway?" Jack asked as his gingerly touched his nose.

"I learned from the best."

"Carter?"

"Yup."

Having been reminded Daniel looked around and spotted Sam on the next bed over, locked in sleep.

"Sam..."

"She's just resting." Jack assured. "A slight concussion, but nothing serious."

"She fought like a wildcat."

"You expected anything less?"

"No." Daniel chuckled.

"How much of it do you remember?"

"The last part is somewhat clear, the rest is just bits and pieces, none of them really make any sense."

Jack eyed Daniel suspiciously for a moment. Daniel knew the look well. It was the one Jack gave him when he still didn't believe everything was alright.

"What game did Teal'c just leave here with?"

"Teal'c?"

"Daniel..." Jack said sternly.

"It was an Oware game. Satisfied?"

"I'll ask again in an hour."

"How about going and getting some sleep and asking me tomorrow?"

Jack took a breath to protest, but then nodded. It had been nearly twenty four hours since he'd last slept and it clearly showed. He got up and put his hand on Daniel's shoulder.

"It's good to have you back, Daniel. You were a real pain in the ass to deal with the other way, not that you aren't still trouble, but this is definitely better."

"Thanks...I think."

Stifling a yawn Jack looked over at Sam one last time before leaving. Daniel tried to go back to sleep himself. However, he'd slept all day and simply wasn't tired anymore. The still nagging headache didn't help either.

Struggling to sit up Daniel just watched his heart monitor for an hour. When Sam stirred he switched his attention to her. She woke slowly, clearly dealing with a headache as well.

Eventually her aqua eyes fluttered open. She looked confused for a moment. Daniel watched while she took in her surrounding and put her own memories into order. She turned to face Daniel and smiled.

"Hey, Daniel. How are you feeling?"

"Headache, how about you?"

"The same." Sam smiled ruefully and sat up. "I am getting tired of waking up in here."

"Tell me about it." Daniel rolled his eyes. "I think I've spent more time in the infirmary than in my own home, maybe even more time that I have off world."

Sam chuckled, but her mirth quickly faded. She was looking at him strangely, like she wanted to ask something. However, she just shook her head, instantly regretting doing so as he headache flared.

"Something wrong?" Daniel asked.

"No...it's nothing."

"Sam."

"It's none of my business."

"I mentioned Emily at some point, didn't I?" Daniel sighed.

Sam just nodded.

"She...uh...she was..."

"Daniel, you don't have to tell me."

"It's alright." Daniel forced a smile. "Do you remember David Ames?"

"Yes."

"Emily was his daughter." Daniel's eyes lost some of their focus. "She was murdered."

"Murdered?" Sam repeated in shock.

"In her own home, I found her...there was blood everywhere. Everyone thought I'd killed her. Looking back I can't blame them, I was seventeen, basically living on the street, and in my panic when I found her I got blood all over and put my fingerprints on everything."

Sam listened to the story quietly. She hadn't wanted to bring this up, but the tone in his voice when he had called her 'Emily' was haunting. Daniel took a deep breath and continued.

"Her father, he was the only one who believed me. I wouldn't have made it through without him, I wouldn't be where I am today, I wouldn't even be alive. Just months before his daughter's murder he saved me from my own. He was a cop, one night he happened to be in the right place at the right time, and stopped a gang from beating me to death.

He treated me better than anyone every had, like I was worth something. Before the murder he helped me get back on my feet, after he was the only thing that kept me off my knees."

"Who killed her?"

"We never found out. David spent most of his energy clearing my name. Which eventually he did. He had the files sealed so that it wouldn't affect the rest of my life. If only it was as simple as locking a piece of paper in a filing cabinet. This whole experience has brought that memory back so vividly."

Daniel sighed heavily and laid down on his side facing Sam. He looked so young again, which was surprisingly disconcerting. He flashed her a reassuring smile.

"I'm so sorry, Daniel. Is there anything I can do?"

"You could tell me another story?" Daniel chuckled.

"What?"

"To help me sleep. It worked before."

"You...uh...you remember that, eh?" Sam flushed.

"Of course...you tell the best stories."

"Alright," Sam smiled "but just one, and then you have to promise to sleep."

"I promise."

"Once upon a time..."


End file.
